Saudi guidelines for testing and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection

Abstract

Pulmonary tuberculosis is a common disease in Saudi Arabia. As most cases of tuberculosis are due to reactivation of latent infection, identification of individuals with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) who are at increased risk of progression to active disease, is a key element of tuberculosis control programs. Whereas general screening of individuals for LTBI is not cost-effective, targeted testing of individuals at high risk of disease progression is the right approach. Treatment of those patients with LTBI can diminish the risk of progression to active tuberculosis disease in the majority of treated patients. This statement is the first Saudi guideline for testing and treatment of LTBI and is a result of the cooperative efforts of four local Saudi scientific societies. This Guideline is intended to provide physicians and allied health workers in Saudi Arabia with the standard of care for testing and treatment of LTBI.

Results of Implementation of Preventive Recommendations for Tuberculosis After Renal Transplantation in an Endemic Area

“…The optimal duration of IPT in transplant recipients has not been established. The use of 9 months of IPT is the preferential regimen, according to most guidelines . In this study, a significant reduction in TB incidence among high‐risk recipients was achieved with a 6‐month course of isoniazid, a finding that suggests that this shorter course of IPT might be an acceptable alternative for TB prevention among transplant recipients.…”

Pre-employment screening of latent tuberculosis infection among healthcare workers using tuberculin skin test and QuantiFERON-TB Gold test at a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia

“…However, some countries, such as the USA, have recommended the use of IGRAs for HCW screening [32], especially for BCG-vaccinated HCWs [29]. In contrast, other guidelines (e.g., Canada, Australia, UK and KSA) [16,19,32,33] have been cautious. Additionally, in 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report including recommendations that discourage the use of IGRAs for the detection of LTBI in HCWs from low-income and middle-income countries [19].…”

Tuberculosis: Awareness among Students in a Saudi University

“…If these trends continue, the incidence will be falling and the target of the MDG will be reached by 2015. Even though the prevalence of tuberculosis is decreasing worldwide, it is doubtful to reach a 50% reduction of tuberculosis compared with 1990 as Stop TB partnership estimated [4]. In Saudi Arabia, the total number of reported tuberculosis cases in the year 2008 was 3918 cases in a population of approximately 24,807,273 individuals' [4].…”