Control and prevention of tuberculosis in the United Kingdom: code of practice 2000. Joint Tuberculosis Committee of the British Thoracic Society

BACKGROUND—Theguidelines on control and prevention of tuberculosis in the UnitedKingdom have been reviewed and updated.
METHODS—A subcommitteewas appointed by the Joint Tuberculosis Committee (JTC) of the BritishThoracic Society to revise the guidelines published in 1994 by the JTC,including representatives of the Royal College of Nursing, PublicHealth Medicine Environmental Group, and Medical Society for Study ofVenereal Diseases. In preparing the revised guidelines the authors tookaccount of new published evidence and graded the strength of evidencefor their recommendations. The guidelines have been approved by the JTC and the Standards of Care Committee of the British Thoracic Society.
RECOMMENDATIONS—Tuberculosisservices in each district should have staffing and resources to fulfilboth the control and prevention recommendations in this document and toensure adequate treatment monitoring. Notification of tuberculosis isrequired for surveillance and to initiate contact tracing (whereappropriate). The following areas are discussed and recommendationsmade where appropriate: (1) public health law in relation totuberculosis; (2) the organisational requirements for tuberculosisservices; (3) measures for control of tuberculosis in hospitals,including segregation of patients; (4) the requirements for health careworker protection, including HIV infected health care workers; (5)measures for control of tuberculosis in prisons; (6) protection forother groups with potential exposure to tuberculosis; (7) awareness ofthe high rates of tuberculosis in the homeless together with localplans for detection and action; (8) detailed advice on contact tracing; (9) contact tracing required for close contacts of bovine tuberculosis; (10) management of tuberculosis in schools; (11) screening of newimmigrants and how this should be performed; (12) outbreak contingencyinvestigation; and (13) BCG vaccination and the management of positivereactors found in the schools programme.