Table 1 Excluded studies of tuberculin skin test (TST) conversion rates or TB disease in HCWs and TB transmission control measures (n = 8)
First author, year (country) | Reason for exclusion | Relevant finding |
|---|---|---|
High-income countries | ||
Fridkin, 1995 [19] (USA) | Cross-hospital survey of TST conversion rates. | Conversion rates lower in hospitals with transmission control measures. |
Fella, 1995 [20] (USA) | Overlap with Louther et al. [32] (Same hospital, similar period of study, 1991–1993) | Decline in proportion of TST conversions over six 6-month cycles (20.7 to 5.8%) while CDC guidelines implemented. |
Holton, 1997 [21] (Canada) | Cross-hospital survey of TST conversion rates. | Compliance with transmission control measures inadequate in both high and low TB risk facilities. |
Boudreau 1997 [22] (USA) | Longitudinal study of TST conversion rates but authors unable to attribute decline to transmission control measures. | TST conversion rates fell over time in TB exposed health care workers. |
Tokars, 2001 [23] (USA) | Two-hospital study of TST conversion rates. | Very low rates of TST conversion in both hospitals. |
Low-and middle-income countries | ||
Harries, 2002 [24] (Malawi) | TB case notification rates before and after infection guidelines introduced. | Small non-significant decline in TB case notification rates (3.7 to 3.2%). |
Roth, 2005 [25] (Brazil) | Cross-hospital survey of TST conversion rates. | Conversion rates lower in hospitals with transmission control measures. |
O’Hara, 2017 [26] (South Africa) | Cross-sectional ecological study of TB incidence rates. | TB incidence negatively associated with overall infection control score. Of specific components, only use of respirators remained protective after multivariable adjustment. |