Tuberc Respir Dis.  2017 Jan;80(1):21-26. 10.4046/trd.2017.80.1.21.

Preventing the Transmission of Tuberculosis in Health Care Settings: Administrative Control

• Jo KW

• KMID: 2396337
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2017.80.1.21

Abstract

It is well established that health care workers (HCWs) have a considerably higher risk of occupationally acquired tuberculosis (TB). To reduce the transmission of TB to HCWs and patients, TB infection control programs should be implemented in health care settings. The first and most important level of all protection and control programs is administrative control. Its goals are to prevent HCWs, other staff, and patients from being exposed to TB, and to reduce the transmission of infection by ensuring rapid diagnosis and treatment of affected individuals. Administrative control measures recommended by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization include prompt identification of people with TB symptoms, isolation of infectious patients, control of the spread of the pathogen, and minimization of time spent in health care facilities. Another key component of measures undertaken is the baseline and serial screening for latent TB infection in HCWs who are at risk of exposure to TB. Although the interferon-gamma release assay has some advantages over the tuberculin skin test, the former has serious limitations, mostly due to its high conversion rate.

Keyword

Tuberculosis; Health Personnel; Tuberculin Test; Interferon-Gamma Release Tests

MeSH Terms

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
Delivery of Health Care*
Diagnosis
Health Personnel
Humans
Infection Control
Interferon-gamma Release Tests
Mass Screening
Occupations
Skin Tests
Tuberculin
Tuberculin Test
Tuberculosis*
World Health Organization
Tuberculin

Figure

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  Figure 1 Two-step TST testing (from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention core curriculum on tuberculosis2). TB: tuberculosis; TST: tuberculin skin test; LTBI: latent tuberculosis infection.

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