AIM: To assess the number of immigrants with pulmonary tuberculosis detected by chest x-ray screening at the Swiss border. METHOD: All adult immigrants entering Switzerland in 2004 were screened by chest x-ray (CXR). The number of radiological abnormalities suggestive of pulmonary tuberculosis, and the proportion requiring treatment for tuberculosis, were assessed retrospectively. The frequency of symptoms among immigrants with documented TB was compared with a sample of immigrants with a normal CXR. RESULTS: Among 8995 immigrants, 8240 had a normal CXR, 630 had some abnormality not suggestive of active TB and 125 (1.4%) had a CXR suggestive of pulmonary TB. A final diagnosis of tuberculosis requiring treatment was made in 50 (11 with positive smear and culture, 16 with positive culture and 23 with negative culture), 57 had fibrotic lesions and 18 had another disease or a normal x-ray on control. The prevalence of symptoms did not differ between 27 immigrants with documented TB (smear+/culture+: 82%, smear-/culture+: 75%), and 23 with smear-/culture-tuberculosis (91%), but lower in 57 immigrants with fibrotic lesions (60%). Cough was more frequent among the 27 immigrants with documented TB (70%) than among 198 smokers without TB (37%) and among 229 non-smokers without TB (15%) CONCLUSIONS: Only 22% (27/125) of immigrants with CXR abnormalities suggestive of pulmonary tuberculosis were documented by smear and/or culture and 40% (50/125) needed antituberculous treatment. 2/11 smear-positive immigrants would not have been detected by a questionnaire on symptoms.
AIM: To assess the number of immigrants with pulmonary tuberculosis detected by chest x-ray screening at the Swiss border. METHOD: All adult immigrants entering Switzerland in 2004 were screened by chest x-ray (CXR). The number of radiological abnormalities suggestive of pulmonary tuberculosis, and the proportion requiring treatment for tuberculosis, were assessed retrospectively. The frequency of symptoms among immigrants with documented TB was compared with a sample of immigrants with a normal CXR. RESULTS: Among 8995 immigrants, 8240 had a normal CXR, 630 had some abnormality not suggestive of active TB and 125 (1.4%) had a CXR suggestive of pulmonary TB. A final diagnosis of tuberculosis requiring treatment was made in 50 (11 with positive smear and culture, 16 with positive culture and 23 with negative culture), 57 had fibrotic lesions and 18 had another disease or a normal x-ray on control. The prevalence of symptoms did not differ between 27 immigrants with documented TB (smear+/culture+: 82%, smear-/culture+: 75%), and 23 with smear-/culture-tuberculosis (91%), but lower in 57 immigrants with fibrotic lesions (60%). Cough was more frequent among the 27 immigrants with documented TB (70%) than among 198 smokers without TB (37%) and among 229 non-smokers without TB (15%) CONCLUSIONS: Only 22% (27/125) of immigrants with CXR abnormalities suggestive of pulmonary tuberculosis were documented by smear and/or culture and 40% (50/125) needed antituberculous treatment. 2/11 smear-positive immigrants would not have been detected by a questionnaire on symptoms.
Authors: Ingunn Harstad; Geir W Jacobsen; Einar Heldal; Brita A Winje; Saeed Vahedi; Anne-Sofie Helvik; Sigurd L Steinshamn; Helge Garåsen Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2010-11-04 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Nikolaus Ackermann; Durdica Marosevic; Stefan Hörmansdorfer; Ute Eberle; Gabriele Rieder; Bianca Treis; Anja Berger; Heribert Bischoff; Katja Bengs; Regina Konrad; Wolfgang Hautmann; Katharina Schönberger; Anne Belting; Gisela Schlenk; Gabriele Margos; Martin Hoch; Friedrich Pürner; Volker Fingerle; Bernhard Liebl; Andreas Sing Journal: Euro Surveill Date: 2018-03
Authors: Ingunn Harstad; Einar Heldal; Sigurd L Steinshamn; Helge Garåsen; Geir W Jacobsen Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2009-05-14 Impact factor: 3.295