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The QuantiFERON-TB-GOLD assay for tuberculosis screening in healthcare workers: a cost-comparison analysis.
Article in Lung. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 24 citations in OpenAlex.
- Risk of Occupational Latent Tuberculosis Infection among Health Personnel Measured by Interferon-Gamma Release Assays in Low Incidence Countries-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Pooled it
- Systematic review of cost and cost-effectiveness of different TB-screening strategies.BMC health services research · 2011Pooled it
- Article
- Interferon-gamma release assay for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection: A latent-class analysis.PloS one · 2017Article
- Tuberculin skin test and Quantiferon test agreement and influencing factors in tuberculosis screening of healthcare workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of occupational medicine and toxicology (London, England) · 2015Article
- Multicytokine detection improves latent tuberculosis diagnosis in health care workers.Journal of clinical microbiology · 2012Article
- Latent tuberculosis infection screening for laboratory personnel using interferon-γ release assay and tuberculin skin test in Korea: an intermediate incidence setting.Journal of clinical laboratory analysis · 2011Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the costs of screening healthcare workers (HCWs) for tuberculosis (TB) using the novel interferon-gamma release assay QuantiFERON((R))-TB Gold In-tube (QFT) versus the tuberculin skin test (TST). We used a prospective observational study with a cost-comparison analysis. The study was conducted at a regional center for ambulatory TB treatment. The study included 100 Israeli HCWs who were referred for routine TB screening. The participants were tested with both TST and QFT. For the TST, induration of 10 mm or more was considered a positive test. For the QFT, a threshold of 0.35 IU/ml interferon-gamma above background levels was a positive test. We developed a computerized model of the present TST-only screening method versus the QFT either alone (instead of the TST) or as a confirmatory test for a positive TST. Of the 100 subjects, 34 had a positive TST result and 17 had a positive QFT result. There was poor agreement between the TST and the QFT (kappa = 0.19). Assuming adherence to treatment of 50%, costs were minimized by using the QFT to confirm a positive TST (<euro>4155). The QFT-only model was cheaper than the TST-only model (<euro>7280 vs. <euro>8217, respectively). The QFT-only method required the fewest clinic visits (121) compared to the TST (344). Adherence to treatment in the QFT-positive group was 47% compared with 12% for the TST-positive group. Screening HCWs with the QFT test compared to the TST resulted in fewer possible cases being identified, lower costs, and increased adherence to treatment. Costs were minimized by using the QFT to confirm a positive TST. A QFT-based screening program for HCWs is feasible and should be evaluated systematically.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.