Latent tuberculosis screening with Interferon-Gamma Release Assay alone cost-effective: Study
Researchers have found in a new study that latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) screening with interferon gamma release assay (IGRA)-only is more cost-effective than the two-step tuberculin Skin Test (TST)/IGRA testing strategy, preventing a higher number of cases of TB cases.
The study is published in the Pulmonology Journal.
Screening for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in close contacts of infectious TB cases might include Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) and Interferon-Gamma Release Assays (IGRA), in combination or as single-tests. In Portugal, the screening strategy changed from TST followed by IGRA to IGRA-only testing.
Therefore, Sofia Sousa and colleagues from the Public Health Unit - South Sousa Valley, Northern Regional Health Administration, Paredes, Portugal carried out the present study with the aim to compare the cost-effectiveness of two-step TST/IGRA with the current IGRA-only screening strategy in immunocompetent individuals exposed to individuals with respiratory TB.
The authors reviewed clinical records of individuals exposed to infectious TB cases diagnosed, in two TB outpatient centers. They estimated medical, non-medical and indirect costs for each screening strategy, taking into account costs of tests and health care personnel, travel distance from place of residence to screening site and employment status.
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