Clinical Characteristics of Defectors from North Korea Visiting a Single Tertiary Hospital in South Korea / 대한내과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There are increasing numbers of North Korean defectors, and their health status differs from that of the South Korean population. This study was performed to investigate the clinical characteristics of North Korean defectors visiting a single tertiary hospital in South Korea. METHODS: The medical records of North Korean defectors who visited Dankook University Hospital, Cheonan, South Korea from 1 February 2006 to 30 April 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Their comorbidities, main reasons for the visit, and most common diseases were investigated. RESULTS: A total of 169 North Korean defectors (163 females, 6 males) visited our hospital. Sixty-eight patients (40.24%) had comorbidities, the most common of which was tuberculosis (13.60%), followed by chronic hepatitis B (10.06%) and chronic hepatitis C (9.47%). North Korean refugees visited the department of ophthalmology (15.71%) most frequently, followed by gastroenterology (15.18%). Cataracts, chronic hepatitis C, chronic hepatitis B, and pulmonary tuberculosis were the most common reasons for the hospital visit. Chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C were diagnosed in 19.32% and 17.58% of the patients, respectively. Sixteen patients (9.47%) were diagnosed with tuberculosis, and eight of these patients showed multidrug resistance. Of all 169 patients, 17 underwent colonofibroscopy or stool examination, and parasites (Trichuris trichiura, n = 6; Clonorchis sinensis, n = 1) were found in 7 patients (41.18%). CONCLUSIONS: Most North Korean defectors who visited this tertiary hospital in South Korea were female, and they mainly visited the departments of ophthalmology, gastroenterology, and pulmonology. Compared with South Koreans, they showed high rates of chronic hepatitis B, chronic hepatitis C, pulmonary tuberculosis with multidrug resistance, and parasite infection.