EUROPEAN SURVEY OF NATIONAL GUIDELINES/POLICY FOR
ACTIVE CASE-FINDING OF TUBERCULOSIS
Country…………………………………………………………………………
Date: DD/MM/YYYY
Person completing form:………………………………………………………..
Address:
…………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………..
Tel:
Fax:
e-mail:
Please tick/check all items that are specified in your national guidelines. If “other”,
either specify or write page or section of national guidelines. Please attach a copy of
your national guidelines.
WHO IS SCREENED?
Contacts
New immigrants
Of sputum smear-positive pulmonary TB
Of all pulmonary TB
Of all TB



All countries

Countries with incidence > 40 per 100,000

Other: specify…………………………………………
All

Employed in high risk areas

(HIV wards, neonatal intensive care, oncology – delete as appropriate)
Hospital employees
Inpatients in contact with TB

Prisons

Homeless

HIV-positive

Elderly in long term care

School teachers

TB laboratory personnel

Others: specify……………………………………………………………….
1
PROCESS OF SCREENING
Symptom questionnaire

Sputum examination if chronic (> 3 weeks) cough

Tuberculin skin testing
Method:
Mantoux

Multi-puncture head

Other: specify………………………………………….
Who?
All in risk groups

0-16 years

<35 years

Other: specify…………………………………………..
Criteria for a positive skin test:
>5 mm
Patients in contact with tuberculosis

Specify if BCG-negative 
Patients with HIV

Patients with clinical or radiographic evidence of TB 
Patients with organ transplants or immunosuppressed 
Others: specify…………………………………………
>10 mm
Patients in contact with tuberculosis

Specify if BCG-negative 
Specify if BCG-positive 
Recent immigrants (<5yrs)

Patients suspected of having tuberculosis

Injection drug users

Prison residents

TB laboratory personnel

Other: specify…………………………………………
>15 mm
Patients in contact with tuberculosis
Specify if BCG-positive 
No known risk factors for TB
Other: specify
Chest x-ray:
All
Tuberculin-positive
Those not tuberculin tested
Sputum (induced) examination if chest x-ray suggests TB
Is mass x-ray screening advocated?
Is mass x-ray screening available
Compulsory screening for TB (medical examination) possible
2









PREVENTIVE TREATMENT
Who?
Tuberculin-positive
Ages 0-16 years
Age <35 years
Other age group: specify



HIV+ contacts of smear-positive pulmonary TB
Babies born to mothers with pulmonary TB


Other: specify………………………………………….
Drug regimens
Isoniazid:
6 months

9 months

12 months

Rifampicin, 4 months

Rifampicin and isoniazid, 3 months

Rifampicin and pyrazinamide

Other: specify
Is preventive treatment a national requirement for PPD+ and/or CXR+ subjects Yes/No
Can serial chest x-rays be used to follow-up patients?
Yes/No
What percentage of eligible subjects would you estimate actually receive preventive
treatment?
………….%
BCG VACCINATION

BCG vaccination is part of national policy
If checked, time of administration:
Neonatal
School entry (age 5-7 years)
Secondary school (ages 11-14 years)
Tuberculin-negative immigrants
Other: specify




SITES OF ACTIVE CASE-FINDING
Mass x-ray
Home visits
House to house surveys
Temporary place in public area
Clinic/Hospital
During education program






Thank you for your help. All contributors will be co-authors in a summary publication.
3