Prevention of transmission of tuberculosis in hospitals; a survey of practices in Belgium, 1995

The Journal of Hospital Infection
O RonveauxM Uydebrouck

Abstract

In July 1995, a questionnaire survey was made of nosocomial tuberculosis (TB) prevention practices in Belgian hospitals. Of 122 respondents (response rate: 64%), 93% had hospitalized at least one TB patient, and 11% at least one multi-resistant TB case, during 1994. Effective prevention measures were not uniformly applied: only 96% isolated contagious TB patients, and only 84% isolated patients suspected of contagious T.B. In six hospitals, TB patients and those with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were mixed. Wearing of masks by personnel entering a TB patient's room was routine in 96%, but in only 24% of these was the mask adequate for filtering 1 micron particles. Moreover, some centres made use of seemingly unnecessary measures, for example routine use of disposable crockery (50%) and enhanced room cleaning (66%). Expensive prevention measures were rarely applied: UV lamps in 12%; HEPA filters in air conditioning in 2%. Tuberculin skin testing at some stage of employment, was routinely performed by 82% of respondents, but varied according to the type of personnel: doctors and temporary staff were significantly under-assessed. Lowest conversion rates among staff were observed in hospital with the least TB admissions but h...Continue Reading

References

Feb 1, 1995·Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·K A Sepkowitz
Jan 12, 1995·The New England Journal of Medicine·D MenziesM Fitzgerald
Sep 1, 1995·Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·J E McGowan
Aug 31, 1996·BMJ : British Medical Journal·S MeredithJ H Darbyshire

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Citations

Jan 17, 2008·Respirology : Official Journal of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology·Wing Wai Yew, Chi Chiu Leung
Jul 23, 2008·British Journal of Nursing : BJN·Ann-Marie Aziz

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