Safety of the two-step tuberculin skin test in Indian health care workers

International Journal of Mycobacteriology
Devasahayam J ChristopherMadhukar Pai

Abstract

Health care workers (HCW) in low and middle income countries are at high risk of nosocomial tuberculosis infection. Periodic screening of health workers for both TB disease and infection can play a critical role in TB infection control. Occupational health programs that implement serial tuberculin skin testing (TST) are advised to use a two-step baseline TST. This helps to ensure that boosting of waned immune response is not mistaken as new TB infection (i.e. conversion). However, there are no data on safety of the two-step TST in the Indian context where HCWs are repeatedly exposed. Nursing students were recruited from 2007 to 2009 at the Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India. Consenting nursing students were screened with a baseline two-step TST at the time of recruitment. From 2007 to 2008 adverse events were recorded when reported during the TST reading (Cohort A). Nurses recruited in the final study year (2009) answered an investigator administered questionnaire assessing all likely side-effects Cohort B). This information was extracted from the case report forms and analysed. Between 2007 and 09, 800 trainees consented to participate in the annual TB screening study and 779 did not have a past history of ...Continue Reading

References

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May 11, 2010·PloS One·Devasahayam J ChristopherMadhukar Pai

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Citations

Aug 5, 2017·International Journal of Mycobacteriology·Anand Bimari JanagondM Mariappan
Dec 25, 2019·International Journal of Older People Nursing·Paola ObbiaRobbert J J Gobbens
Aug 14, 2020·Ocular Immunology and Inflammation·Huiying Zhao, Xiaoyan Peng
Sep 9, 2021·Cadernos de saúde pública·Lara de Lima GloriaAnete Trajman

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