Abstract

FERNANDEZ MONTERO, Alejandro et al. Utility of Quantiferon-TB gold in screening of healt care workers: 8 years of experience. Rev Asoc Esp Espec Med Trab [online]. 2016, vol.25, n.2, pp.58-72. ISSN 3020-1160.

Objective: To evaluate the efficiency of QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT-GIT) to diagnose latent tuberculosis infection. Methods: In an Occupational Medicine consultation, we analysed the results of QFT-GIT in hospital workers with positive tuberculin skin test (TST) between years 2007-2014. Also a validation study was performed for the TST in the cut offs considered as 10 and 5 mm. Results: 2,085 patients were studied. We performed 2,679 TST 182 (+), 2,435 (-). 1,623 QTF-GIT were done; 132 (+), 1,486 (-). After a positive TST 61.4% QFT-GIT showed a negative result (p <0.001). The TST, with 10 or 5 mm considered as cut-off, showed a sensitivity of 88% and 100% (p <0.001), and a specificity of 35% and 3% (p <0.001) respectively. Conclusions: The use of TST in Occupational Medicine is justified as it is a diagnostic test with high sensitivity, but as it generates a large number of false positive, confirmation with a higher specificity test, such as the QFT-GIT is required to avoid unnecessary chemoprophylaxis.

Keywords : Occupational Medicine; Latent Tuberculosis Infection; Tuberculin Skin Test; QuantiFERON- Gold In-tube^®.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )