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Understanding employee TB screening procedures for low-risk settings

Ambulatory Safety Monitor, April 6, 2006

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Depending on your ambulatory surgery center's (ASC) tuberculosis (TB) risk assessment, you may not need to conduct annual screening of employees for TB, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) new TB prevention.

Outpatient, outreach, and home care settings that encounter fewer than three TB patients in the previous year are at low risk for TB infections, according to the CDC.

Following are the guidelines for screening healthcare workers for TB in low-risk settings:

• All workers should receive baseline TB screening upon hire, using two-step tuberculin skin test (TST) or a single blood assay for mycobacterium TB (BAMT).
• After baseline testing for infection, additional TB screening is not necessary unless an exposure occurs.
• Workers with a baseline positive or newly positive test result (i.e., TST or BAMT) or documentation of treatment for latent TB infection or TB disease should receive one chest radiograph to exclude TB disease. Repeat radiographs are not needed unless symptoms or signs of TB disease develop or unless recommended by a clinician.

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