The rate of tuberculin reactivity in health care workers a cross sectional descriptive study

Ali Abbas Radhi

doi:10.28922/qmj.2019.15.1.28-41

Authors

Ali Abbas Radhi internal medicine department , Al-Diwaniyah teaching hospital , Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.28922/qmj.2019.15.1.28-41

Keywords:

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Health Care Workers, Tuberculin Skin Test, Latent Tuberculosis infection

Abstract

Background:"Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the oldest diseases known to affect humans, it caused by bacteria belonging to Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (M.TB) complex". M.TB iscommonly transmitted from a TB infected person to other person by "droplet nuclei which are aerosolized by coughing, sneezing or speaking. Health care workers (HCWs) are exposed to a variety of infections, including TB, as they perform their job responsibilities". "The standard test for detecting latent TB infection (LTBI) is tuberculin skin test (TST) (Mantoux test) using purified protein derivatives (PPD) of M.TB."

Objectives:The aim is to study the rate of TB transmission from patients with active disease to the HCWs, and also studying the relation of deferent variables to the transmission risk including (Gender, Vaccination, and Duration of contact or work duration).

Methods: Cross sectional descriptive study done in Al Diwaneya teaching hospital (medical department) between September and December 2017.122 HCWs were included in this study their age ranging between 24-40 years mean 32year,100 (82%) were male and 22 (18%) female.

"0.1 ml (5) tuberculin units had been injected intradermally to the volar surface of forearm to be seen within 48-72hours".The test was considered positive if ( >=10mm induration) developed .

Results: The study shows the rate of tuberculin reactivity among HCWs 24.6% (30/122) a significant relationship between duration of work in hospital and tuberculin reactivity among HCWs. Word nursing staff

>10years work duration shows the higher rate (43.8%) followed by emergency nursing staff (30.8%) and then senior house officer (S.H.O) (20.8%), service workers shows (15%) while all joiner house officers included in the study shows (0%) with <2years work duration.

Conclusion:HCWs have high rate of LTBI. Their positivety correlated With the duration of their jobs. this should draw attention for better isolation for patients with TB to minimize the risk of transmission to the HCWs.