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Cost-Effectiveness of the Two-Step Skin Test for Tuberculosis Screening of Employees in a Community Hospital

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Chinh T. Lé
Chinh T. Lé*
Affiliation:
Infectious Disease Section, Department of Pediatrics, Kaiser-Permanente Medical Center, Sacramento, California
*
Department of Pediatrics, Kaiser-Permanente Medical Center, 2025 Morse Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95825
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Abstract

To assess the frequency of the booster effect as well as the need for and the cost effectiveness of the two-step skin test for tuberculosis screening at our medical center, we conducted a pilot study from June 1980 to March 1983 with hospital and clinic employees. Six (0.4%) of 1,521 employees tested by the two-step skin test demonstrated the booster effect. The mean age of these six employees was 35 years (range, 24 to 44 yr). During the study period, 10 employees converted to a positive skin test. The booster effect would have accounted for approximately 38% (6 of 16) of those converting if the two-step testing were not performed. At our medical center, the additional cost of the two-step skin test was low and justifiable for medical and epidemiologic reasons. We suggest that each hospital review the prevalence of tuberculosis among its patient and employee populations. The need for and cost effectiveness of the two-step skin test for new hospital employees must be re-examined on the basis of these data.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 5 , Issue 12 , December 1984 , pp. 570 - 572
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1984

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