Can I read Results of five-year systematic screening for latent tuberculosis infection in healthcare workers in Portugal on EtoBox?

Results of five-year systematic screening for latent tuberculosis infection in healthcare workers in Portugal by José Torres Costa; Rui Silva; Raul Sá; Maria João Cardoso; Albert Nienhaus is a Medicine article available to read on EtoBox.

What is Results of five-year systematic screening for latent tuberculosis infection in healthcare workers in Portugal about?

## Abstract ## Introduction The risk of tuberculosis (TB) in healthcare workers (HCWs) is related to its incidence in the general population, and increased by the specific risk as a professional group. The prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in HCWs in Portugal using the tuberculin skin test (TST) and the interferon-γ release assays (IGRA) was analyzed over a five-year period. ## Methods A screening programme for LTBI in HCWs was conducted, with clinical evaluations, TST, IGRA, and chest radiography. Putative risk factors for LTBI were assessed by a standardised questionnaire. ## Results Between September 2005 and June 2009, 5,414 HCWs were screened. The prevalence of LTBI was 55.2% and 25.9% using a TST ≥ 10 mm or an IGRA test result (QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube) INF-γ ≥0.35 IU/mL as a criterion for LTBI, respectively. In 53 HCWs active TB was diagnosed. The number of HCWs with newly detected active TB decreased from 19 in the first year to 6 in 2008. Risk assessment was poorly related to TST diameter. However, physicians (1.7%) and nurses (1.0%) had the highest rates of active TB. ## Conclusions LTBI and TB burden among HCWs in Portugal is high. The screening of th

Who reads Results of five-year systematic screening for latent tuberculosis infection in healthcare workers in Portugal?

Author

José Torres Costa; Rui Silva; Raul Sá; Maria João Cardoso; Albert Nienhaus

Publisher

BioMed Central; Springer (Biomed Central Ltd.); [London]: BioMed Central, 2006-; Springer Science and Business Media LLC (ISSN 1745-6673)

Published

2010

Language

EN

Field

Medicine (Health Sciences)