Tuberculosis In The Workplace

Before effective treatments were introduced in the 1950s, tuberculosis was a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. Health care workers were at particular risk. Although the occupational risk of tuberculosis has been declining in recent years, this new book from the Institute of Medicine concludes that vigilance in tuberculosis control is still needed in workplaces and communities. Tuberculosis in the Workplace reviews evidence about the effectiveness of control measuresâ€"such as those recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionâ€"intended to prevent transmission of tuberculosis in health care and other workplaces. It discusses whether proposed regulations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration would likely increase or sustain compliance with effective control measures and would allow adequate flexibility to adapt measures to the degree of risk facing workers.

These guidelines draw on the practical experience of employers and workers and the technical expertise of WHO and ILO. They cover all the practical steps involved in establishing TB control activities, including (for large employers) starting and running a workplace TB control programme.

This manual is designed for health professionals working in high HIV and TB prevalence countries. It summarises the characteristics of both diseases and their interactions. It concentrates particularly on the problems of diagnosis and management both in adults and children and summarises the other HIV related illnesses the clinician might encounter.

Between 2011 and 2019, WHO has developed and issued evidence-based policy recommendations on the treatment and care of patients with DR-TB. These policy recommendations have been presented in several WHO documents and their associated annexes, including the WHO Consolidated Guidelines on Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Treatment, issued by WHO in March 2019. The policy recommendations in each of these guidelines have been developed by WHO-convened Guideline Development Groups, using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach to summarize the evidence, and formulate policy recommendations and accompanying remarks. The present WHO Consolidated Guidelines on Tuberculosis, Module 4: Treatment - Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Treatment includes a comprehensive set of WHO recommendations for the treatment and care of DR-TB. The document includes two new recommendations, one on the composition of shorter regimens and one on the use of the BPaL regimen (i.e. bedaquiline, pretomanid and linezolid). In addition, the consolidated guidelines include existing recommendations on treatment regimens for isoniazid-resistant TB and MDR/RR-TB, including longer regimens, culture monitoring of patients on treatment, the timing of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in MDR/RR-TB patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the use of surgery for patients receiving MDR-TB treatment, and optimal models of patient support and care. The guidelines are to be used primarily in national TB programmes, or their equivalents in Ministries of Health, and for other policy-makers and technical organizations working on TB and infectious diseases in public and private sectors and in the community.

BACKGROUND: Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), defined as a state of persistent immune response to prior-acquired Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens without evidence of clinically manifested active TB, affects about one-third of the world's population. Approximately 10% of people with LTBI will develop active TB disease in their lifetime, with the majority developing it within the first five years after initial infection. Currently available treatments have an efficacy ranging from 60% to 90%. Systematic testing and treatment of LTBI in at-risk populations is a critical component of WHO's eight-point framework adapted from the End TB Strategy to target pre-elimination and, ultimately, elimination in low incidence countries. OVERVIEW: Recognizing the importance of expanding the response to LTBI, in 2014 WHO developed Guidelines on the Management of Latent Tuberculosis Infection. The guidelines are primarily targeted at high-income or upper middle-income countries with an estimated TB incidence rate of less than 100 per 100 000 population, because they are most likely to benefit from it due to their current TB epidemiology and resource availability. The overall objective of the guidelines is to provide public health approach guidance on evidence-based practices for testing, treating and managing LTBI in individuals with the highest risk of progression to active disease. Specific objectives include identifying and prioritizing at-risk population groups for targeted intervention of LTBI testing and treatment, including defining an algorithm, and recommending specific treatment options. The guidelines are expected to provide the basis and rationale for the development of national guidelines for LTBI management based on available resources, epidemiology of TB including intensity of transmission, the health-care delivery system of the country, and other national and local determinants.

Questions and Answers About Tuberculosis ( TB) was written to provide information on the diagnosis and treatment of TB infection and TB disease for persons who do not have a medical background. Key audiences for this booklet are: persons with or at risk for TB; persons who provide services for those at high risk for TB such as correctional officers, homeless shelter workers, emergency responders; persons who may have been exposed to someone with TB in a workplace or school setting; and persons who want to learn more about this disease. This booklet answers common questions about TB and includes a glossary of terms, plus a few illustrations to make this a helpful resource to many readers without medical training. Other related products: Questions and Answers About Tuberculosis (Package of 25) bundled booklets at a special price can be found at this link: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/017-023-00231-7 This companion booklet would be wonderful for school purchases in classroom size to learn about Tuberculosis, physician and pediatrician offices, in-patient and out-patient clinics to promote education about this disease. The Health Consequences of Smoking--50 Years of Progress. A Report of the Surgeon General (Full Report- ePub eBook) can be found at this link: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/017-300-00010-5 Other resources published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/agency/345 Keywords: US Department of Health and Human Services; HHS; medical guidance; medical; tuberculosis; diseases and conditions; TB; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); CDC; medical educational materials; TB skin test; TB infection; infections; bacteria; lungs; racial and ethic minorities; TB risk factors; weak immune systems; BCG vaccine for TB;TB treatments;