Outcomes of Child Contact Investigations of Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients: A Single Center Experience from 2012 to 2014

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The study aimed to determine data collected during tuberculosis (TB) contact investigations and to evaluate the outcomes of these investigations. METHODS: We reviewed medical records for child contacts of patients with culture-positive pulmonary TB aged 19 years or older between August 2012 and July 2014. RESULTS: A total of 116 child contacts were identified for 79 patients with culture-positive pulmonary TB. Of 116 contacts identified, 22% were incompletely screened. Of 90 contacts who completed screening, 42% had negative tuberculin skin test (TST) results, 58% had positive results, and 1% had active pulmonary TB at the time of investigation. Of 50 contacts with TB patients with a negative smear, 50% had positive TST results. Age > or =5 years (OR 8.3; 95% CI 2.3-30) and male gender (OR 3.9; 95% CI 1.5-9.9) were significantly associated with being incompletely screened. CONCLUSIONS: Improvement is needed in the process of contact investigations to ensure that contacts of patients with active pulmonary TB are identified and appropriately screened.