Isolation Measures and Protection Awareness Are Significant for Latent Tuberculosis Infection: a Cross-sectional Study Based on T-SPOT.TB Among Health Care Workers in China

Overview

Journal Epidemiol Infect

Publisher Cambridge University Press

Specialties Infectious Diseases
Public Health

Date 2019 Mar 15

PMID 30868980

Citations 6

Authors

Yunfeng Deng

Yun Liu

Yan Li

Hui Jing

Yan Wang

Xuezheng Li

Lingzhong Xu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This study aimed to reveal the associated risk factors for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) detected by T-SPOT.TB assay among health care workers (HCWs) at different working locations or job categories in China. This cross-sectional study included 934 HCWs who underwent the T-SPOT.TB assay. Demographic and social characteristics of the participants, including age, sex, job categories, department/ward and duration of healthcare service, were recorded. Among 934 HCWs, 267 (28.5867%) were diagnosed as having LTBI with positive T-SPOT.TB assay. HCWs working in inpatient tuberculosis (TB) (odds ratio (OR) 2.917; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.852-4.596; P < 0.001) and respiratory wards (OR 1.840; 95% CI 1.124-3.011; P = 0.015), and with longer duration of healthcare service (OR 1.048; 95% CI 1.016-1.080; P = 0.003) were risk factors for positive T-SPOT.TB result. Furthermore, longer working duration increased the positive rate of T-SPOT.TB results for physicians and nurses, and physicians had higher risks than nurses for the same working duration. Inpatient TB and respiratory wards were high-risk working locations for HCWs with LTBI, and longer duration of healthcare service also increased the risk of LTBI among HCWs. A complete strategy for TB infection control and protection awareness among HCWs should be enhanced.

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