Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38879714›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2024

Mixed methods study on latent tuberculosis among agate stone workers and advocacy for testing silica dust exposed individuals in India.

Mihir P Rupani, Rakesh Balachandar, Gitika Kharkwal, Nikhil P Kulkarni, Bhavesh V Modi, Rutu N Asodia, Krishna K Vaghela, Deizy R Nimavat

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Silicotuberculosis: a critical narrative review.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2024
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Mihir P RupaniDivision of Health Sciences, ICMR - National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380016, India. mihirrupani@gmail.com.
Rakesh BalachandarDivision of Health Sciences, ICMR - National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380016, India.
Gitika KharkwalDivision of Biological Sciences, ICMR - National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380016, India.
Nikhil P KulkarniDivision of Chemical Sciences, ICMR - National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380016, India.
Bhavesh V ModiDepartment of Community and Family Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rajkot, Gujarat, 360006, India.
Rutu N AsodiaDivision of Health Sciences, ICMR - National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380016, India.
Krishna K VaghelaDivision of Health Sciences, ICMR - National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380016, India.
Deizy R NimavatDivision of Health Sciences, ICMR - National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380016, India.

Funding

Indian Council of Medical Research 2021-8722
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The 2021 tuberculosis (TB) preventive treatment guidelines in India included silicosis as a screening group, yet latent TB infection (LTBI) testing for silica-dust-exposed individuals is underemphasized. Focusing on an estimated 52 million silica-dust-exposed workers, particularly agate-stone workers in Khambhat, Gujarat, our study aims to estimate LTBI prevalence, identify predictors, and gather insights from TB and silicosis experts. Employing a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach, a cross-sectional study involved 463 agate-stone workers aged ≥ 20 years in Khambhat, using IGRA kits for LTBI testing. In-depth interviews with experts complemented quantitative findings. Among agate-stone workers, 58% tested positive for LTBI, with predictors including longer exposure, type of work, and BCG vaccination. Our findings reveal a nearly double burden of LTBI compared to the general population, particularly in occupations with higher silica dust exposure. Experts advocate for including silica-dust-exposed individuals in high-risk groups for LTBI testing, exploring cost-effective alternatives like improved skin sensitivity tests, and shorter TB preventive treatment regimens to enhance compliance. Future research should explore upfront TB preventive treatment for silica-dust-exposed individuals with high LTBI prevalence and optimal exposure duration. This study underscores the urgent need for policy changes and innovative approaches to TB prevention among silica-dust-exposed populations, impacting global occupational health strategies.

Indexed as

DustLatent TuberculosisOccupational ExposureSilicon DioxideSilicosisAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansIndiaMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceDustSilicon DioxideAgate workersDirect-treat strategyDust exposure durationHigh riskIndiaKey populationLatent tuberculosis infectionOccupational settingsSilicosisTuberculosis preventive treatment

Identifiers

PMID38879714
PMCPMC11180111

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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.