Cost-Effectiveness of Annual Screening for Tuberculosis among Italian Healthcare Workers: A Retrospective Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Luca CoppetaAntonio Pietroiusti

Abstract

In the past few years, healthcare workers (HCWs) have been considered at higher risk for tuberculosis (TB) infection than the general population. On the other hand, recent studies have reported a low conversion rate among these workers. Recently, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) updated its recommendations, suggesting that an annual screening should not be performed in the absence of a documented exposure but only in workers with high-risk duties or with job tasks in settings at high risk of tuberculosis contagion (e.g., departments of infectious or pulmonary diseases). In fact, some studies showed that annual tuberculosis screening for all the HCWs was not cost-effective in countries with a low incidence of TB. In this study, we evaluated the conversion rate and the cost-effectiveness of two different tuberculosis screening strategies in a large population of Italian HCWs. In our retrospective study, we reviewed data coming from a tuberculosis screening conducted on 1451 HCWs in a teaching hospital of Rome. All workers were evaluated annually by means of the Quantiferon test (QFT) for a five-year period. Then, the conversion rate was calculated. We found a cumulative conversion rate of 0.6%. Considering the cost of the QFT...Continue Reading

References

Jan 8, 2005·Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology : the Official Journal of the Society of Hospital Epidemiologists of America·Shelley R Salpeter, Edwin E Salpeter
Jan 13, 2009·Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology·Anja SchablonAlbert Nienhaus
Oct 9, 2012·Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology : the Official Journal of the Society of Hospital Epidemiologists of America·Lauren A LambertMaryam B Haddad
Jan 6, 2017·Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·David M LewinsohnGail L Woods
Mar 25, 2017·BioMed Research International·Christian NapoliGiovanni Battista Orsi
Sep 7, 2017·Open Forum Infectious Diseases·Lydia UdenGraham S Cooke
Oct 14, 2017·Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·Claudia C DoblerRobin G Molella
Jan 8, 2020·The Open Respiratory Medicine Journal·Luca CoppetaAndrea Magrini

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Software Mentioned

SPSS

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease : the Official Journal of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
Edward C Jones-López, Jerrold J Ellner
Communicable Diseases Intelligence Quarterly Report
Justin WaringNational Tuberculosis Advisory Committee
Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
Carrie TudorJason E Farley
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology : the Official Journal of the Society of Hospital Epidemiologists of America
Adrian OngCharles L Daley
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved