Postarrival tuberculosis screening of high-risk immigrants at a local health department

J.B. Nuzzo, J.E. Golub, P. Chaulk and M. Shah

American Journal of Public Health, 2015, vol. 105, issue 7, 1432-1438

Abstract: Objectives. We sought to characterize postimmigration tuberculosis (TB) care for Class B immigrants and refugees at the Baltimore City Health Department TB program (BCHD), and to determine the proportion of immigrants with active TB or latent TB infection (LTBI) in this high-risk population. Methods. We conducted a retrospective chart review of Class B immigrants and refugees who reported to the BCHD for postimmigration TB evaluation from 2010 to 2012. Results. We reviewed the clinical records of 153 Class B immigrants; 4% were diagnosed with active TB and 53% were diagnosed with LTBI. Fifty percent of active TB cases were culture positive, and 67% were asymptomatic; 100% received and completed active TB therapy at the BCHD. Among those diagnosed with LTBI, 87% initiated LTBI therapy and 91% completed treatment. Conclusions. The high prevalence of active TB and LTBI found among Class B immigrants underscore the importance for postarrival TB screening. The absence of reported symptoms among the majority of active cases identified during this study suggest that reliance on symptom-based screening protocols to prompt sputa testing may be inadequate for identifying active TB among this high-risk group.

Keywords: adolescent; adult; female; human; latent tuberculosis; male; mass screening; middle aged; migrant; refugee; retrospective study; risk factor; statistics and numerical data; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary; United States; young adult, Adolescent; Adult; Baltimore; Emigrants and Immigrants; Female; Humans; Latent Tuberculosis; Male; Mass Screening; Middle Aged; Refugees; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary; Young Adult (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2014.302287_7

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302287

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