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Tuberculosis in health care workers in a central hospital in Malawi

H S Kanyerere1, F M Salaniponi

  • 1Community Health Science Unit, National Tuberculosis Control Programme, Lilongwe, Malawi. tbcontrol@malawi.net

The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease : the Official Journal of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
|May 22, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Tuberculosis (TB) is highly prevalent among healthcare workers (HCW) in Malawi, with a notification rate of 5780/100,000 in 2001. Diagnostic guidelines for TB were not consistently followed, potentially leading to overdiagnosis.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Occupational Health

Background:

  • Healthcare workers (HCW) are at increased risk of tuberculosis (TB) infection.
  • Understanding TB burden and diagnostic practices in HCWs is crucial for effective control programs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the TB case notification rate among HCWs at Lilongwe Central Hospital in 2001.
  • To assess adherence to National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) guidelines in diagnosing TB among HCWs.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective study design.
  • Data collected from 571 HCWs at Lilongwe Central Hospital.
  • Analysis of TB notification rates and diagnostic procedures.

Main Results:

  • A total of 33 HCWs (6%) were notified with TB in 2001, yielding a rate of 5780/100,000 HCWs.
  • Patient attendants showed higher TB rates compared to nurses, ward attendants, and doctors.
  • Non-adherence to NTP guidelines was observed, especially in diagnosing smear-negative TB (64% lacked sputum smear examination).

Conclusions:

  • The TB case notification rate among HCWs in a Malawian central hospital is notably high.
  • Inconsistent adherence to diagnostic guidelines may have contributed to potential overdiagnosis of TB in HCWs.

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