This was a single-center, retrospective study of index patients and close-contact HCWs who were subjected to contact investigation after TB exposure during hospitalization at the NMC (Seoul, South Korea) from January 2018 to July 2021. We reviewed the exposure reports and electronic medical records of index patients and HCWs.
Active TB was diagnosed if any of the following results were present: positive acid-fast bacilli (AFB) culture or Xpert MTB/RIF assay (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA, USA), either from sputum or bronchial aspirate. If TB was diagnosed during hospitalization without isolation, the patient was promptly relocated to the isolation unit, and an immediate report to the infection control team was made by the nurse in charge. Each department collects a complete list of HCWs with close contact and sends it to the infection control team, in accordance with the NMC infection control guidelines. The infection control team collects information from the participants on the list through telephone surveys and notifies them to perform chest radiography and interferon gamma-releasing assay (IGRA) at the pulmonology clinic. The test results and the following clinic visits are monitored by the infection control team and are published in exposure reports. The aforementioned information included in exposure reports was thoroughly reviewed by the study.
Active TB was diagnosed if any of the following results were present: positive acid-fast bacilli (AFB) culture or Xpert MTB/RIF assay (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA, USA), either from sputum or bronchial aspirate. If TB was diagnosed during hospitalization without isolation, the patient was promptly relocated to the isolation unit, and an immediate report to the infection control team was made by the nurse in charge. Each department collects a complete list of HCWs with close contact and sends it to the infection control team, in accordance with the NMC infection control guidelines. The infection control team collects information from the participants on the list through telephone surveys and notifies them to perform chest radiography and interferon gamma-releasing assay (IGRA) at the pulmonology clinic. The test results and the following clinic visits are monitored by the infection control team and are published in exposure reports. The aforementioned information included in exposure reports was thoroughly reviewed by the study.
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