Respirology | 2021
Characteristics of bronchiectasis in Korea: First data from the Korean Multicentre Bronchiectasis Audit and Research Collaboration registry and comparison with other international registries
Abstract
To the Editors: Understanding the aetiology and characteristics of patients with bronchiectasis is vital for developing strategies to reduce the burden of disease; however, geographical variations in these characteristics, which may have important implications for diagnosis and treatment, make it difficult to formulate a uniform strategy for investigation. Here, we describe the burden of illness and treatment among Korean bronchiectasis patients and compare the results with those from three geographically and ethnically diverse regions: Australia, Europe and India. The Korean Multicentre Bronchiectasis Audit and Research Collaboration (KMBARC) is a prospective, noninterventional observational study. Data were collected from 598 patients enrolled in the KMBARC registry between August 2018 and December 2019. The KMBARC registry design and data collection fields are closely aligned with those used by other registries. Detailed information on