ATS 2011 - Introducing QuantiFERON into routine clinical practice.

What Happens When Blood TB Interferon Gamma Release Assays (IGRA) Are Available In Routine Clinical Practice

In a hospital setting with many TB-at-risk subjects, blood IGRA offers clinicians a simple means of assessing exposure to mycobacteria. However,

1. despite intensive educational measures, it is often employed inappropriately to diagnose active TB;
2. not all positive test results are referred for latent TB treatment evaluation;
3. direct and indirect TB service workload increases dramatically following IGRA roll-out.

Such data should inform planning of TB models of care that incorporate new screening tests

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