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10th Anniversary Conference Of The British HIV Association [BHIVA]15 – 17 April 2004, City Hall, Cardiff, UK |
[AUTHOR(S):] CFJ Rayner, TBL Ho, T Lindfield, RJ Whitfield, Y Young
Chest Unit, St George's Hospital, Mayday Hospital, Surrey, and SW London Health Protection Unit, London, UK
BHIVA Conf 2004 Apr 15-17;10:O21
BACKGROUND: The global incidence of TB is increasing. This has coincided with a rise in intercontinental travel and the recruitment of healthcare professionals to the UK from around the world.
METHODS: To assess the incidence of tuberculosis among healthcare workers, a retrospective interrogation of the SW London TB database for 2002 was performed. Data collected included profession, age, sex, type of disease, HIV status, country of origin, time in the UK, and history of bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccination ± scar.
RESULTS: 372 patients were diagnosed as having TB. 25 were healthcare workers (6.7%, four doctors, 13 nurses, five healthcare assistants and three healthcare students); 22 (88%) were from overseas (2–22 years in the UK before diagnosis). 18 patients had evidence of BCG vaccination and 17 (68%) had pulmonary TB. Nine patients (36%) were diagnosed HIV antibody-positive.
CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare workers contribute significantly to the number of patients with TB and a significant proportion is co-infected with HIV. The majority of these patients are migrant workers. The current guidelines for screening healthcare workers state that only those without a BCG scar are tuberculin skin-tested. 52% of our patients would not have required skin testing at initial screening.
PRESENTING AUTHOR: CFJ Rayner
040415
O21
Copyright © 2004 - British HIV Association (BHIVA) Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the BHIVA Organising Secretariat 1 Mountview Court, 310 Friern Barnet Lane, London N20 0LD