title: Cost of treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in South Korea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Costs associated with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) are higher than those associated with drug-susceptible TB because of the higher prices of second-line anti-TB drugs, the prolonged duration of treatment, greater productivity loss and higher mortality. The aim of this study was to estimate the cost of treatment for MDR-TB according to the treatment strategy and prognosis in South Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  We estimated the direct (medical and non-medical) and indirect cost for the treatment of MDR-TB according to the treatment strategies and prognosis: in medically treated, surgically treated and deceased patients groups. The same analyses were undertaken for drug-susceptible TB for comparison. The patients with MDR-TB or drug-susceptible TB were randomly selected from the TB cohort of Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Direct costs per person were US$4000 (US$2527-4841) in the medically treated group, US$17,457 (US$10,133-26,418) in the surgically treated group and US$33,362 (US$25 386-40 338) in the deceased group. Total costs per person were US$15,856 (US$10,752-38,421), US$47,159 (US$20,587-77,622) and US$478,357 (US$257,377-777,778), respectively. For the patients with drug-susceptible TB, the total cost ranged from US$1680 to US$7637 (median US$2166).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cost for the treatment of MDR-TB is seven to 22 times that of managing the drug-susceptible TB in South Korea. Considering the high cost, transmissibility and considerable fatality of MDR-TB, there is a need to provide specific separate funding for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Lung Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Ae
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Yong-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Young-Jae
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Sang Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chul-Gyu
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Young Whan
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung Koo
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Young-Soo
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Jae-Joon
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Yim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013997:Time Factors; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology