Evaluating a 24-year tuberculosis screening in first-grade elementary schoolers in a low-burden area.

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Country of Publication: Norway NLM ID: 9205968 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1651-2227 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 08035253 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Acta Paediatr Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: 2007- : Oslo : Wiley-Blackwell
Original Publication: Oslo : Scandinavian University Press, c1992-

Tuberculin Test/*trends ; Tuberculosis/*diagnosis; Child ; Female ; Greece/epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Retrospective Studies ; Time Factors ; Tuberculosis/epidemiology

Aim: Early diagnosis of tuberculosis infection can significantly contribute to the control of the disease. The aim of the present study was to describe the tuberculin skin test (TST) trends over a 24-year period (1990-2013) and explore the value of universal tuberculosis screening in a low-burden area.
Methods: All first graders that underwent TST during the 24-year study period (1990-2013) on the island of Crete, Greece, were retrospectively included in the study.
Results: A total of 82 402 children (92.3% of Greek nationality; 51.0% male) underwent TST, of whom 335 (0.41%, 95% CI 0.37-0.46) were found to have positive TST while 0.27% of the study population had a TST between 5 and 9 mm. The tuberculin index declined significantly between 1990-1994 and 2010-2013 (0.67 vs 0.26; RR 2.73, 95% CI 1.82-4.09; p < 0.0001). Positive TST result was significantly higher in the immigrant than the native group (0.66% vs 0.24%; RR 3.76 95%, CI 2.89-4.84; p < 0.0001). In the last study years, 386 children (488 native; 153 immigrant) should be tested for one to be found TST positive.
Conclusion: Our findings question the massive tuberculin testing in low-burden areas and point to selective screening of high-risk groups.
(©2019 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

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Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection; National screening programme; Tuberculin screening test

Date Created: 20190430 Date Completed: 20201001 Latest Revision: 20201001

20231215

10.1111/apa.14829

31032973