Hi everyone:
Tagging along on the TB topic but about symptom screening questionnaires for annual TB surveillance.
  When employees answer “ yes” for history of travel to a TB prevalent country for one month or more , do you require them to do a test if they are asymptomatic?  

Same inquiry about what do you do if the employee answers yes to the “ do you have current or planned immunosuppression !

Our hospital currently tests employees if they said yes to the travel question whether or not they are symptomatic which am not sure is necessary ? Any one aware  of what data supports  this ? With the immune suppression we are testing only those who are symptomatic !!

Thanks much ,
Enass Arahman, MD, MPH,FACOEM

Medical Director Employee Health Services 
UC Davis Health 
Sacramento, CA

On Wed, Feb 8, 2023 at 12:10 Swift, Melanie D., M.D., M.P.H. via MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh@mylist.net> wrote:

Dr. Thrasher, attached is the NTCA-ACOEM collaborative guidance document on TB testing and treatment in healthcare personnel. The preplacement evaluation recommendations for HCP with a prior positive TB test begin at the bottom of page e358.

 

Recommendations are essentially the same for prior treated LTBI and prior treated active TB. Document the dates and confirmation of completed treatment. For active TB they should have a clearance document from their public health department at the completion of therapy. A symptom screen would be recommended, but as long as she is asymptomatic and you have documentation of her prior positive IGRA and/or TST at the time of her original diagnosis, documentation of complete treatment and clearance of the active infection, then there really is no testing or imaging recommended. The key will be obtaining that documentation. If she has none, then as Sally recommends you could get an IGRA now (likely would be positive) and follow your usual clearance process. You can do a single view CXR with abdominal shielding, should records be unavailable and you need to exclude active TB. If you have the records though, no need to image her unless she is symptomatic or her treatment wasn’t complete.

 

Melanie

 

Melanie Swift, MD, MPH

(she/her)
Vice Chair, Division of Public Health, Infectious Diseases and Occupational Medicine

Medical Director, Mayo Clinic Physician Health Center

Associate Medical Director, Occupational Health Service

_______________________________
Mayo Clinic
200 First Street SW
Rochester, MN 55905

 

From: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh-bounces+swift.melanie=mayo.edu@mylist.net> On Behalf Of Sally Foster-Chang
Sent: Wednesday, February 8, 2023 11:20 AM
To: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh@mylist.net>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: [MCOH-EH] TB screening question

 

I’d do an IGRA. At least you would have a baseline. 

 

On Wed, Feb 8, 2023 at 12:02 PM dennis thrasher via MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh@mylist.net> wrote:

Any recommendations for a new-hire nurse applicant? She is pregnant and
has previously been treated for active TB.
Thanks.
Dennis Thrasher, MD, MPH
sunnyside@dakotacom.net
520 247 1397

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Sent from Gmail Mobile

---------------------------------------
The MCOH-EH List has always been moderated by members of the ACOEM Medical Center Occupational Health Section. It is currently moderated by Joe Fanucchi MD FACOEM.
List membership is free, but only subscribers may post to the list.
To post send messages to: mcoh-eh@mylist.net
To become a subscriber, or to change your subscription options (turn off email while you're on vacation, etc):   http://www.mcoh-eh.net
MediTrax / Occupational Health Systems, Inc. provides financial support to ensure the list remains a free resource for the occupational health community.
---------------------------------------
List archives (public): http://mylist.net/archives/mcoh-eh/
---------------------------------------
Send administrative requests to: drjoe@meditrax.com
---------------------------------------
When replying to a message, PLEASE delete all footers, and all messages to which you're NOT replying.
--
Enass Awad A/Rahman,MD,MPH
Department of Occupational Medicine
Mercy Medical Group
3000 Q Street
Sacramento,CA,95816
Tel: 916-733-3390


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