Control and prevention of tuberculosis in the United Kingdom: Code of Practice 1994. Joint Tuberculosis Committee of the British Thoracic Society.

Abstract

(1) All cases of tuberculosis must be notified. (2) A few patients need hospital admission. (3) Patients with positive sputum smears and sensitive organisms should be considered infectious until they have received two weeks' chemotherapy. (4) Treatment of all tuberculosis patients should be supervised by a respiratory physician employing standard medication guidelines and monitoring compliance at least monthly. (5) Health care workers at risk should be protected by BCG vaccination and appropriate infection control measures, and evidence of infectious tuberculosis should be sought among prospective NHS staff, school teachers, and others. (6) Prison staff should be protected. (7) Tuberculosis should be considered in the elderly in long stay care with persistent chest symptoms. (8) Contact tracing should be vigorously pursued with chemoprophylaxis, BCG vaccination, or follow up where applicable. (9) Entrants to the UK from high risk countries (tuberculosis incidence more than 40/100,000 population per year) should be screened. (10) BCG vaccination should be offered where appropriate but not in subjects with known or suspected HIV infection. (11) The local organisation of tuberculosis services should be strengthened and should include adequate nursing and support staff. (12) Contracts between purchasers and providers should specify management of tuberculosis in line with this and other JTC guidelines.