45 research outputs found
Breaking the barriers: Migrants and tuberculosis
No full textTuberculosis (TB) can represent an important clinical and public health in developing and developed countries. Low- and middle-income countries are facing an epidemic which is difficult to address because of the drug-resistance spread and the association of TB with HIV/AIDS. High-income countries, whose TB incidence has decreased in the last decades, can be involved in new TB epidemic waves owing to social, healthcare, and economic hurdles and challenges. In particular, migrants coming from high TB incidence countries can represent a new epidemiological issue in the TB care and control in geographical areas where primary care and specialized centres are not equipped to face the clinical and public health issues associated with the TB disease. The healthcare management of individuals with a latent TB infection or the TB disease is heterogeneous and different policies are in place in Europe, and, specifically, in EU countries. Scientific evidence on how to early and efficiently detect TB cases is missing, as well as diagnostic tools to diagnose those who have latent TB infection do not show adequate accuracy. Countries like Greece and Italy have political difficulties in the management of migrants and the poor living conditions in the migration centres can increase the probability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission. A clear advocacy and political commitment are urgently required. The current migration trends represent a threat from a human and a healthcare perspective. New homogeneous and target-oriented policies and strategies are needed to improve the health of the migrant and of the autochthonous populations. Editorial World Tuberculosis Day 2017: strengthening the fight against tuberculosis. I. Solovic (Slovakia) et al. Breaking the barriers: Migrants and tuberculosis. G. Sotgiu (Italy) et al. Tuberculosis elimination and the challenge of latent tuberculosis. A. Matteelli (Italy) et al., Italy The cursed duet today: Tuberculosis and HIV-coinfection. S. Tiberi (UK) et al. The challenge of the new tuberculosis drugs. S. Tiberi (UK) et al. Agents of change: The role of healthcare workers in the prevention of nosocomial and occupational tuberculosis. R. R. Nathavitharana (USA) et al
Standard operating procedures for tuberculosis care
No full textRecommendations to prioritise TB care, prevention and control, specifically among the most vulnerable populations
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis-Unknown Cause, Global Occurrence and New Medical Possibilities
No full textFeasibility and benefits of an innovative airway clearance device in COPD patients hospitalized for acute exacerbation
No full textPregnancy in patients with tuberculosis: A TBNET cross-sectional survey
No full textBACKGROUND:
Objectives: To determine whether the incidence of tuberculosis with pregnancy is more common than would be expected from the crude birth rate; to see whether there is significant delay in the diagnosis of tuberculosis during pregnancy.
METHOD:
Design: A cross-sectional survey.
SETTING:
13 tuberculosis clinics within different European countries and the USA.
POPULATION/SAMPLE:
All patients with tuberculosis seen at these clinics for a period > 1 year.
INSTRUMENT:
Questionnaire survey based on continuous data collection.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
number and proportion of women with tuberculosis who were pregnant; timing of diagnosis in relation to pregnancy, including those who were pregnant or delivered in the 3 months prior to the diagnosis of TB and those who developed TB within 3 months after delivery.
RESULTS:
Pregnancy occurred in 224 (1.5 %) of 15,217 TB patients and followed the expected rate predicted from the crude birth rate for the clinic populations. TB was diagnosed more commonly in the 3 months after delivery (n = 103) than during pregnancy (n = 68; χ 2 = 25.1, P < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS:
TB is diagnosed more frequently after delivery, despite variations in local TB incidence and healthcare systems
Migration, TB control and elimination: Whom to screen and treat
No full textTuberculosis (TB) in migrants represents an important clinical and public health threat, particularly in low TB incidence countries. The current review is aimed to assess issues related to screening and treatment of migrants with latent TB infection or TB disease. Keywords: TB migrants, TB elimination, TB control screenin
Tuberculosis care among refugees arriving in Europe: a ERS/WHO Europe Region survey of current practices
No full textNo evidence exists on tuberculosis (TB) and latent TB infection (LTBI) management policies among refugees in European countries.
A questionnaire investigating screening and management practices among refugees was sent to 38 national TB programme representatives of low and intermediate TB incidence European countries/territories of the WHO European Region.
Out of 36 responding countries, 31 (86.1%) reported screening for active TB, 19 for LTBI, and eight (22.2%) reporting outcomes of LTBI treatment. Screening for TB is based on algorithms including different combinations of symptom-based questionnaires, bacteriology and chest radiography and LTBI screening on different combinations of tuberculin skin test and interferon-γ release assays. In 22 (61.1%) countries, TB and LTBI screening are performed in refugee centres. In 22 (61.1%) countries, TB services are organised in collaboration with the private sector. 27 (75%) countries answered that screening for TB is performed as per national and international guidelines, while 19 (52.7%) gave the same answer with regards to LTBI screening. Infection control measures are inadequate in several of the countries surveyed.
There is need for improved coordination of TB screening in Europe to implement the End TB Strategy and achieve TB elimination
