Document 0298
 DOCN  M9590298
 TI    Nosocomial tuberculosis outbreak in HIV infected patients at St.
       Vincent's Hospital, Sydney. TB Working Group.
 DT    9509
 AU    Couldwell D; Dore G; HIV Medicine Unit, St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney.
 SO    Annu Conf Australas Soc HIV Med. 1994 Nov 3-6;6:209 (unnumbered
       abstract). Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ASHM6/95291801
 AB    OBJECTIVE: To investigate a possible outbreak of Mycobacterium
       tuberculosis infection in a HIV outpatient treatment facility. METHODS:
       Following the diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis in a
       HIV-infected patient receiving outpatient intravenous therapy for CMV
       pneumonitis, 94 patients potentially exposed in the treatment room were
       followed up with 3 monthly screening chest radiographs and where
       possible, sputum examination. RESULTS: Through the initial screening
       undertaken no patients who were potentially exposed had radiological
       evidence of active pulmonary tuberculosis. Amongst those patients who
       also had sputum examinations, none were positive on microscopy or
       culture for M. tuberculosis. However, 3 of these patients developed
       active pulmonary tuberculosis between 8 and 10 weeks following the
       diagnosis of the index case. No further cases amongst the potentially
       exposed cohort of patients has been diagnosed after 12 months. M.
       tuberculosis isolates from the index case and the three other cases were
       found to be identical strains by DNA typing. CONCLUSION: Despite low
       prevalence of M. tuberculosis infection amongst HIV-infected patients in
       Australia, there is a clear risk of transmission in hospital settings.
       Considering there are a wide range of potential pulmonary pathogens and
       respiratory disease processes in HIV-infected patients, vigilance is
       required to detect M. tuberculosis cases at the earliest possible time.
 DE    AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/TRANSMISSION  Cohort
       Studies  *Cross Infection/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/TRANSMISSION  *Disease Outbreaks
       Follow-Up Studies  Human  Mass Screening  New South Wales  Risk Factors
       Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/TRANSMISSION  MEETING ABSTRACT

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).