Abstract

Background: There was published a report by National Institute of Toxicological Research(NITR) about toxic hepatitis in Korea, in January 2004. The report contained the result of analysis on 55 cases of severe toxic hepatitis from 7 university hospitals for 8 months. NITR claimed that the extrapolated annual frequency of severe toxic hepatitis in Korea was 1904 cases per year. And they also claimed that the most frequent etiology of severe toxic hepatitis were herb medications and similar plant preparations(61.7%), traditional therapeutic preparations and healthy foods(29.1%). I have investigated that report to be certain of the result because it was very important subject for public health and society in Korea. Results: The NITR report has so many problem to have faith in the results. 1. Total cases of the report is just only 55 cases to estimate annual prevalence rate of severe toxic hepatitis in Korea. 2. There was a large regional preponderancy in the NITR report(2 cases in Seoul has a population of 10.17 million, 19 cases in Gwangju has a population of 1.4 million) 3. There was another preponderancy that selected hardly ever cases caused by western medication(9.1%) than other reasons. 4. The NITR report used a modified scale than recognized officially to diagnose toxic hepatitis. 5. There was a mistake using a scale to adapt the right indication. 6. They have collected cases before begin the study although in prospective study. And there was not any questionnaire, materials concerned with alcohol, drug, history of past liver disease. Conclusion: The NITR is one of the important offical branch in govenment of Korea. But, there was a severe problem in validity because selection bias, uncertain accuracy, insufficience of raw materials in the report. Therefore it seems to be generalize the results of the report and there is a lack of confidence as a national one publishing by the NITR.