PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Christian Gutsfeld AU - Christoph Lange TI - PrevenTB: Attitudes of decision makers and care providers towards tuberculosis prevention in Germany DP - 2012 Sep 01 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - P3995 VI - 40 IP - Suppl 56 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P3995.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P3995.full SO - Eur Respir J2012 Sep 01; 40 AB - Background: Prevention of tuberculosis with chemotherapy is highly effective, if targeted at high risk populations. However, acceptance of preventive chemotherapy against tuberculosis is very variable in Europe.Methods: We developed and validated a standardized questionnaire to evaluate the attitudes related to tuberculosis prevention of decision makers and caretakers of individuals at risk for the future development of tuberculosis.Results: At a first stage we sent 500 questionnaires to health care professionals and received 130 answered forms back. During the second stage 3000 study invitations were sent for an online survey via email. Among the 510 online survey participants were 250 pulmonologists, 189 health officers, 26 general practitioners and 45 other medical professions.Out of all online participants 48,8% (n=249) would use QuantiFeron Gold in tubeĀ®, 24,7% Tuberculin-skin-Test (n= 126), 23,3% T-Spot.TBĀ® (n= 119) and 3,2% (n=16) other testing devices in the future. 59,1% (n=112) of pulmonologists and 44,3% (n=39) of public health workers suggested no or in less than 20% preventive hemotherapy to healthy people who have been exposed to TB in spite of a positive TST or IGRA. In case of HIV-seropositive patients with a positive test result 62,4% (n=109) of pulmonologist and 72,3% (n=47) of public health workers offered no preventive chemotherapy at all.Conclusions: Tuberculosis prevention can likely be substantially improved in Germany if positive test results such as the TST or IGRA are consistent with preventive chemotherapy in individuals at high risk for the future development of tuberculosis.