Strategies for Tuberculosis Prevention in Healthcare Settings: A Narrative Review

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Tuberculosis continues to represent a major occupational risk in healthcare environments, particularly for healthcare workers who have persistent contact with patients who may be infectious. Despite the high occupational burden of tuberculosis among healthcare workers, there remains a lack of focused reviews that comprehensively evaluate preventive interventions across all levels of prevention within healthcare settings. In this literature review, effective preventive interventions relevant to tuberculosis transmission have been examined. Primary preventive interventions seek to diminish exposure through protective interventions such as respirators, improvements in ventilation systems, and implementation of educational programs regarding infection control protocols. Secondary preventive interventions target early diagnosis and routine screening with efforts to detect cases and latent infections early, before they progress to active disease. Enhancements in diagnostic technology have improved both the accuracy and speed of detection, further aiding the efforts of controlling nosocomial transmission. Tertiary preventive interventions target enhancing compliance with treatment protocols, managing complications of active infection, and controlling resistant strains through individualized follow-up and interventions. Barriers like stigma and lack of resources, however, often impede such interventions’ effectiveness in many cases. This narrative literature review highlights the imperative for strengthened workplace policies, an expansion of educational programs, and continued research in new and emerging interventions like new vaccine and diagnostics technology development. All these factors aim to optimize intervention effectiveness for tuberculosis and protect the health and welfare of workers in the medical field.