Strategies for Tuberculosis Prevention in Healthcare Settings: A Narrative Review

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Infectious Disease Control
• Public Health

Background:

• Tuberculosis (TB) presents a substantial occupational hazard for healthcare workers (HCWs) due to persistent exposure to infectious patients.
• A gap exists in comprehensive reviews evaluating TB prevention interventions across all levels within healthcare settings.
• Understanding and addressing the occupational burden of TB among HCWs is critical for worker safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a narrative literature review examining effective preventive interventions for tuberculosis transmission in healthcare settings.
• To analyze primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies relevant to occupational TB.
• To identify barriers and highlight areas for improvement in TB control among HCWs.

Main Methods:

• A narrative literature review was performed.
• Interventions were categorized into primary (exposure reduction), secondary (early diagnosis/screening), and tertiary (treatment compliance/management) levels.
• The review examined existing research on TB prevention in healthcare environments.

Main Results:

• Primary interventions include personal protective equipment (respirators), improved ventilation, and infection control education.
• Secondary interventions focus on early detection through enhanced diagnostic technologies and routine screening.
• Tertiary interventions emphasize treatment adherence, complication management, and control of drug-resistant TB strains.

Conclusions:

• Strengthened workplace policies, expanded educational programs, and ongoing research into new vaccines and diagnostics are imperative.
• Addressing barriers such as stigma and resource limitations is crucial for effective intervention.
• Optimizing TB prevention strategies is essential to protect the health and welfare of healthcare workers.