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Watson DA, Cooling N, Woolley IJ. Healthy, safe and effective international medical student electives: a systematic review and recommendations for program coordinators. TROPICAL DISEASES TRAVEL MEDICINE AND VACCINES 2019; 5:4. [PMID: 30988957 PMCID: PMC6448218 DOI: 10.1186/s40794-019-0081-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Background Thousands of medical students undertake international medical electives each year. These students face potentially substantial health and safety risks as well as educational and ethical challenges and therefore should undertake their electives within well-structured and coordinated programs. Methods We conducted a qualitative systematic review based on a pre-determined protocol. Relevant publications and guidelines relating to international medical electives were identified through a review of the literature using on-line search engines, principally PubMed. We then conducted a systematic qualitative synthesis to extract relevant publications. Finally, the literature was organized according to themes, with the aim of developing a structured set of Recommendations for Implementation for program coordinators. Results A wide range of important issues were identified which were categorized into seven themes upon which recommendations were made principally for the benefit of program coordinators: Responsibilities; General policies; Travel advisories; Occupational risk assessment; Funding & finances, Pre-departure training programs; and Post-return debriefing and screening. Conclusions Recommendations for program coordinators on the health and safety of medical students while on international medical electives have been sourced from existing guidelines and relevant publications. There was considerable consensus from the literature and as such these synthesised recommendations could form the basis for internationally accepted standards for elective placement program coordinators. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40794-019-0081-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Ashley Watson
- 1Australian National University Medical School - Canberra Hospital Campus, Garran, ACT Australia
| | - Nicholas Cooling
- 2School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Ian J Woolley
- 3Monash Infectious Diseases, Monash Health and Monash University, Clayton, Victoria Australia
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Nasreen S, Shokoohi M, Malvankar-Mehta MS. Prevalence of Latent Tuberculosis among Health Care Workers in High Burden Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0164034. [PMID: 27711155 PMCID: PMC5053544 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Twenty-two high burden countries contributed to the majority of worldwide tuberculosis cases in 2015. Health care workers are at high risk of acquiring tuberculosis through occupational exposure. Objective To estimate the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among health care workers in high burden countries. Methods Databases including MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), CINAHL (Ovid) and ISI Web of Science (Thompson-Reuters), and grey literature were searched for English language records on relevant medical subject headings (MeSH) terms of LTBI and health care providers. Literature was systematically reviewed using EPPI-Reviewer4 software. Prevalence and incidence of LTBI and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported. Pooled prevalence of LTBI and 95% CI were calculated using random-effects meta-analysis models and heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistics. Sub-group analysis was conducted to assess the cause of heterogeneity. Results A total of 990 records were identified. Of those, 18 studies from only 7 high burden countries representing 10,078 subjects were included. Tuberculin skin test results were available for 9,545 participants. The pooled prevalence of LTBI was 47% (95% CI 34% to 60%, I2 = 99.6%). In subgroup analyses according to the country of the study, the pooled prevalence of LTBI was lowest in Brazil (37%) and highest in South Africa (64%). The pooled prevalence of LTBI among medical and nursing students was 26% (95% CI 6% to 46%, I2 = 99.3%) while the prevalence among all types of health care workers was 57% (95% CI 44% to 70%, I2 = 99.1%). Incidence of LTBI was available for health care workers in four countries. The cumulative incidence ranged from 2.8% in Brazilian medical students to 38% among all types of health care workers in South Africa. Conclusion The findings of this study suggest that there is a high burden of LTBI among health care workers in high burden countries. Adequate infection control measures are warranted to prevent and control transmission in health care settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharifa Nasreen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail: ;
| | - Mostafa Shokoohi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Monali S. Malvankar-Mehta
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Ophthalmology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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dos Santos TR, Padoveze MC, Nichiata LYI, Takahashi RF, Ciosak SI, Gryschek ALDFPL. Indicators to assess the quality of programs to prevent occupational risk for tuberculosis: are they feasible? Rev Lat Am Enfermagem 2016; 24:S0104-11692016000100328. [PMID: 27276016 PMCID: PMC4915796 DOI: 10.1590/1518-8345.0591.2695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE to analyze the feasibility of quality indicators for evaluation of hospital programs for preventing occupational tuberculosis. METHOD a descriptive cross-sectional study. We tested indicators for evaluating occupational tuberculosis prevention programs in six hospitals. The criterion to define feasibility was the time spent to calculate the indicators. RESULTS time spent to evaluate the indicators ranged from 2h 52min to 15h11min 24sec. The indicator for structure evaluation required less time; the longest time was spent on process indicators, including the observation of healthcare workers' practices in relation to the use of N95 masks. There was an hindrance to test one of the indicators for tuberculosis outcomes in five situations, due to the lack of use of tuberculin skin test in these facilities. The time requires to calculate indicators in regarding to the outcomes for occupational tuberculosis largely depends upon the level of organizational administrative structure for gathering data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talita Raquel dos Santos
- Master's Student, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade de São Paulo, São
Paulo, SP, Brazil. RN, Hospital Universitário, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP,
Brazil
| | - Maria Clara Padoveze
- PhD, Professor, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade de São Paulo, São
Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Suely Itsuko Ciosak
- Associate Professor, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade de São Paulo,
São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Durando P, Alicino C, Orsi A, Barberis I, Paganino C, Dini G, Mazzarello G, Del Bono V, Viscoli C, Copello F, Sossai D, Orengo G, Sticchi L, Ansaldi F, Icardi G. Latent tuberculosis infection among a large cohort of medical students at a teaching hospital in Italy. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:746895. [PMID: 25705685 PMCID: PMC4331323 DOI: 10.1155/2015/746895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2014] [Accepted: 11/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The surveillance of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in both healthcare workers and healthcare students is considered fundamental for tuberculosis (TB) prevention. The aim of the present study was to estimate LTBI prevalence and evaluate potential risk-factors associated with this condition in a large cohort of medical students in Italy. In a cross-sectional study, performed between March and December 2012, 1511 eligible subjects attending the Medical School of the University of Genoa, trained at the IRCCS San Martino-IST Teaching Hospital of Genoa, were actively called to undergo the tuberculin skin test (TST). All the TST positive cases were confirmed with an interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA). A standardized questionnaire was collected for multivariate risk analysis. A total of 1302 (86.2%) students underwent TST testing and completed the questionnaire. Eleven subjects (0.8%) resulted TST positive and LTBI diagnosis was confirmed in 2 (0.1%) cases. Professional exposure to active TB patients (OR 21.7, 95% CI 2.9-160.2; P value 0.003) and previous BCG immunization (OR 28.3, 95% CI 3.0-265.1; P value 0.003) are independently associated with TST positivity. Despite the low prevalence of LTBI among Italian medical students, an occupational risk of TB infection still exists in countries with low circulation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Durando
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa and Hygiene and Infection Control Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Postgraduate School in Occupational Medicine, University of Genoa and Occupational Medicine Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Cristiano Alicino
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa and Hygiene and Infection Control Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Orsi
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa and Hygiene and Infection Control Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Ilaria Barberis
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa and Hygiene and Infection Control Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Chiara Paganino
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa and Hygiene and Infection Control Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Guglielmo Dini
- Postgraduate School in Occupational Medicine, University of Genoa and Occupational Medicine Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Mazzarello
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa and Infectious Diseases Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Valerio Del Bono
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa and Infectious Diseases Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Claudio Viscoli
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa and Infectious Diseases Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Francesco Copello
- Postgraduate School in Occupational Medicine, University of Genoa and Occupational Medicine Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Dimitri Sossai
- Health Safety and Prevention Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Orengo
- Quality and Risk Management Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Laura Sticchi
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa and Hygiene and Infection Control Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Filippo Ansaldi
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa and Hygiene and Infection Control Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Icardi
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa and Hygiene and Infection Control Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
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Prevalence of tuberculosis and treatment outcome among university students in Northwest Ethiopia: a retrospective study. BMC Public Health 2015; 15:15. [PMID: 25605404 PMCID: PMC4310170 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-015-1378-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2013] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Universities tend to be highly congregate settings, both in the classroom and in residences, and thus provide special opportunities for large number of persons to be exposed to a person with tuberculosis (TB). Despite the high prevalence of TB in Ethiopia, the TB prevalence and the treatment outcome among students have never been studied. Therefore, this study was aimed at determining the prevalence and treatment outcome of TB among students at University of Gondar from January 2007 to December 2011. METHODS Data on age, sex, TB type, category, and treatment outcome of students with TB was collected from medical records of University of Gondar Hospital, TB Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) clinic. All TB cases diagnosed with smear, culture, and/or radiography were included in the study. RESULTS During the five year study period in the university, there were an average of 36 students with TB per year out of a mean of 10,036 enrolled students. Smear positive pulmonary TB, smear negative pulmonary TB, and extra pulmonary TB, respectively, were observed in 46 (25.4%), 81 (44.8%) and 54 (29.8%) of the cases. The prevalence of all forms of TB per 100,000 populations in the University ranged from 297.6 in 2009 to 404 in 2011, respectively. The prevalence of TB in the Social Sciences and Humanities Faculty was higher than the one observed in the Medical College. The overall treatment outcome was classified as cured in 36 (19.9%), completed in 91 (50.3%), defaulted in 9 (5%), failed in 3 (1.7%), died in 1 (0.6%), and transferred out in 41 (22.7%) of the cases. Treatment success rate (TSR) among students in University was generally low ranging from 58.1% in 2009 to 82.9% in 2011 with a mean TSR of 70.2%. CONCLUSION The prevalence of TB is higher in comparison to the national figure among students in University of Gondar. Active surveillance systems could be important to get a clear picture of the TB situation in such settings. Assessing the factors associated with the high prevalence to gear the TB control strategy could also be essential.
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Durando P, Sotgiu G, Spigno F, Piccinini M, Mazzarello G, Viscoli C, Copello F, Poli A, Ansaldi F, Icardi G. Latent tuberculosis infection and associated risk factors among undergraduate healthcare students in Italy: a cross-sectional study. BMC Infect Dis 2013; 13:443. [PMID: 24059355 PMCID: PMC3848912 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-13-443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2013] [Accepted: 09/18/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The screening of both healthcare workers and students attending teaching hospitals for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is recommended in hospitals of many countries with a low-incidence of TB, including Italy, as a fundamental tool of tuberculosis (TB) control programs. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of LTBI and evaluate the main risk-factors associated with this condition in a cohort of healthcare Italian students. METHODS In a cross-sectional study, performed between January and May 2012, 881 undergraduate students attending the Medical, Nursing, Pediatric Nursing and Midwifery Schools of the University of Genoa, trained at the IRCCS San Martino-IST Teaching Hospital of Genoa, were actively called to undergo the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST). All the TST positive cases were also tested with an Interferon-Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) to confirm the diagnosis of LTBI. A standardized questionnaire was collected for risk-assessment analysis. RESULTS Seven hundred and thirty-three (83.2%) subjects underwent TST testing. The prevalence of TST positives was 1.4%, and in 4 (0.5%) out of 10 TST positive cases LTBI diagnosis was confirmed by IGRA. No difference in the prevalence of subjects who tested positive to TST emerged between pre-clinical (n = 138) and clinical (n = 595) students. No statistically significant association between TST positivity and age, gender, and BCG vaccination was observed. The main independent variable associated with TST positivity was to be born in a country with a high TB incidence (i.e., ≥20 cases per 100,000 population) (adjusted OR 102.80, 95% CI 18.09-584.04, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of LTBI among healthcare students resulted very low. The only significant association between TST positivity and potential risk factors was to be born in high TB incidence areas. In countries with a low incidence of TB, the screening programs of healthcare students before clinical training can be useful for the early identification and treatment of the sporadic cases of LTBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Durando
- Department of Health Sciences, Associate Professor of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Hygiene Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, University of Genoa, Via Antonio Pastore 1, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Sotgiu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Associate Professor of Medical Statistics, Research, Medical Education and Professional Development Unit, AOU Sassari, University of Sassari, Via Padre Manzella 4, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Fabio Spigno
- Department of Health Sciences, Associate Professor of Occupational Health, Chief of the Occupational Health Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, University of Genoa, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Mauro Piccinini
- Prevention and Protection Service of the University of Genoa, Via Balbi 5, 16126, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Mazzarello
- Department of Health Sciences, Infectious Diseases Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, University of Genoa, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Claudio Viscoli
- Department of Health Sciences, Full Professor of Infectious Diseases, Chief of the Infectious Diseases Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, University of Genoa, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Francesco Copello
- Occupational and Preventive Medicine Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Poli
- Occupational and Preventive Medicine Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Filippo Ansaldi
- Department of Health Sciences, Associate Professor of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Hygiene Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, University of Genoa, Via Antonio Pastore 1, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Icardi
- Department of Health Sciences, Full Professor of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Chief of the Hygiene Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST teaching Hospital, University of Genoa, Via Antonio Pastore 1, 16132, Genoa, Italy
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Rogerio WP, Baraona CMO, Prado TND, Lacerda TC, Carlesso GF, Maciel ELN. Prevalência de infecção latente pelo Mycobacterium tuberculosis entre estudantes da área da saúde de uma universidade pública em Vitória, ES, Brasil. CIENCIA & SAUDE COLETIVA 2013. [DOI: 10.1590/s1413-81232013000500018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Este artigo tem por objetivo determinar a prevalência da infecção pelo Mycobacterium tuberculosis em acadêmicos de enfermagem e medicina da Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo. Estudo de corte transversal no qual os dados foram coletados através de questionário, composto de questões abertas e fechadas sobre características pessoais; informações a respeito da tuberculose; utilização de medidas preventivas, etc. Aplicou-se teste tuberculínico, com leitura após 72h por enfermeiros treinados, considerando como ponte de corte positivo 10 mm de enduração. Participaram 225 voluntários, sendo 98 estudantes da Medicina e 127 da Enfermagem. A positividade ao teste tuberculínico fora encontrada em 54 estudantes de ambos os cursos, resultando uma prevalência de 24%. Entre os Estudantes de Enfermagem o resultado do TST positivo foi obtido em 24% e nos Estudantes de Medicina em 23%, sendo esta diferença não significativa estatisticamente. Faz-se necessário um programa de realização de teste tuberculínico, de rotina, para confirmação de viragem tuberculínica, combinado com intervenções para reduzir o risco de transmissão nosocomial no local da prática, bem como a realização de outros estudos para avaliar a eficácia de novos testes para detecção de tuberculose latente.
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