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The Importance of Two-Step Tuberculin Skin Testing for Newly Employed Healthcare Workers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

Elizabeth C. Frenzel ,
Georgia A. Thomas  and
Hend A. Hanna
Elizabeth C. Frenzel*
Affiliation:
Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
Georgia A. Thomas
Affiliation:
Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
Hend A. Hanna
Affiliation:
Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
*
Employee Health, Unit 631, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 301402, Houston, TX 77230-1402 (efrenzel@mdanderson.org)
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Abstract

At the time of hire, 4059 of 6522 healthcare workers required a 2-step tuberculin skin test; 114 workers (2.8%) demonstrated a boosted reaction after the second step. Boosted reactions were significantly associated with male sex and older age. A verbal history of previous tuberculin skin test results was not a reliable indicator of baseline tuberculin skin test status at the time of hire.

Type
Concise Communications
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 27 , Issue 5 , May 2006 , pp. 512 - 514
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2006

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