Health care visits as a risk factor for tuberculosis in Taiwan

Pan, S.C., Chen, C.C., Chiang, Y.T., Chang, H.Y., Fang, C.T. and Lin, H.H., 2016. Health care visits as a risk factor for tuberculosis in Taiwan: a population-based case–control study. American journal of public health, 106(7), pp.1323-1328.
  • TB transmission risk is heightened by inadequate ventilation and environmental cleaning, allowing TB droplets to persist in health care settings.
  • Crowded and poorly ventilated outpatient areas significantly increase transmission risks, particularly from unsuspected and untreated TB cases.
  • A higher frequency of health care visits is directly correlated with increased TB incidence rates; visiting a facility with an untreated TB patient on the same day notably raises the risk.
  • Despite adjusting for medical comorbidities, the association between frequent health care visits and increased TB risk remains statistically significant.
  • TB patients frequently visit services like family medicine, internal medicine, and general practice during potentially infectious periods, necessitating focused infection control measures in these areas.
  • Enhance infection control in internal medicine, family medicine, and pulmonology, improve early TB detection and treatment, and implement targeted interventions such as cough officer screening, germicidal ultraviolet systems in upper rooms, and upgraded ventilation in outpatient service areas.

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