What’s the Risk of TB Spread in Health Care Settings?

In inpatient and outpatient settings, actual tuberculosis (TB) transmission events are rare. Nonetheless, inadvertent patient and staff exposure to individuals with active Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is common and causes substantial anxiety for exposed individuals as well as costly efforts for hospital infection-control and occupational-health staff. To clarify potential transmission risk factors in health care settings, investigators conducted a systematic review of 86 reports, including case reports and series, cross-sectional, and cohort studies, most of which were conducted before the two latest, 2005, CDC guidelines on contact investigation and prevention of tuberculosis transmission in health care.