Biomedical subjects

S T Hebrink

Publications and source records attributed to S T Hebrink.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1996

Impact on USAF tuberculosis detection and control program given a low facility tuberculosis prevalence rate.

Isoniazid prophylaxis is a major part of the U.S. Air Force tuberculosis (TB) screening program and is closely tied to the efforts to eliminate TB. If a facility has a low prevalence rate of TB and there is no sound epidemiological evidence to rule out a false-positive TB skin test, a higher threshold for what constitutes a positive reaction in a given population may be appropriate. Criteria for preventive treatment in Air Force Instruction 48-115, para 3.4.2 and 3.4.5, should be expanded to incorporate the positive-predictive rate of the tuberculin skin test as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Antitubercular Agents↗

PubMed1996

Cellulitis versus positive purified protein derivative? A case report and review of the literature.

The tuberculin skin test is one of the most widely used diagnostic aids ever developed and remains the only technique of detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection other than actually culturing the organism. False-positives are an acknowledged problem, especially among health care workers (HCW), in whom rescreening can raise more questions than answers. A HCW presented with a severe response to an annual screening test and was retested 6 weeks later with normal results (non-reactive). Causes of false-positives (not including cross-reactivity) are discussed. Readers of the purified protein derivative reaction need to consider alternative explanations for a significant response than infection with tuberculosis, given the medical history and nature of response.

Adult↗