RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Five-year follow-up in healthcare workers tested with tuberculin skin test and interferon gamma assay
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP P1437
VO 44
IS Suppl 58
A1 Nittha Oer-Areemitr
A1 Anan Wattanathum
YR 2014
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P1437.abstract
AB Background: Thailand is a high burden country of tuberculosis and healthcare workers (HCWs) are significantly increased risk of mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) infection. Treatment of Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in Thailand is not routinely practice. Data about turning from LTBI to active TB among HCWs is limited.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data from 284 HCWs in Phramongkutklao hospital who were tested for LTBI in 2007 and 2008. Both Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) and Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) were done. These HCWs were contacted in 2012 and 2013 for clinical evaluation and chest radiography to determine whether they had developed tuberculosis disease or not.Results: Two hundred fifty six HCWs from 284 HCWs (90.1%) were able to contact. None of them received the treatment for LTBI. Eight HCWs were diagnosed TB disease (3.16%), 5 of them were pulmonary TB, 2 HCWs were TB pleuritis and 1 HCW was TB lymphadenitis).Seventy-seven (30%) HCWs were diagnosed LTBI by IGRA positive (LTBI-IGRA group) and 179 (70%) HCWs were IGRA negative. The incidence of TB disease was 6 HCWs (7.8%) in LTBI-IGRA positive group and 2 HCWs (1.1%) in IGRA negative group (p=0.0049).While comparing to TST method, 71 HCWs had TST positive (LTBI-TST group) and 185 HCWs had TST negative. Four HCWs in TST positive group had developed TB disease and 4 HCWs in TST negative group had developed TB disease (5.4 percent and 2.1 percent in LTBI-TST positive and negative, respectively), p=0.153.Conclusions: To determine the LTBI among HCWs, IGRA positive group increased risk of TB disease significantly, whereas TST was unable to demonstrate the risk of TB disease.