ADA.org tuberculosis resources updated
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Posted March 13, 2006 |
By Craig Palmer The Association offers updated member information about tuberculosis on ADA.org to reflect revised Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines applicable to all health care settings.
The A-Z Topics: Tuberculosis page update offers information on TB and the dental office and links to additional resources including the revised CDC guidelines.
The ADA Division of Science reviewed the revised guidelines and found little change from previous TB guidelines for dental practices that do not see active TB cases, which means most dental practices. The CDC considers these to be "low risk" practices. The CDC continues to recommend that private practice dental offices promptly refer for medical care all patients with a medical history or symptoms suggestive of active TB. Most of the guidance applies to settings like hospitals that treat patients with active tuberculosis.
However, the CDC recommends that even a dental office in the "low risk" category perform an annual risk assessment taking into account the TB risk level in the surrounding community in collaboration with state and local health agencies. The guidelines offer a risk classification example for outpatient health care settings that says, "If less than three TB patients for the preceding year, classify as low risk. If greater than or equal to three TB patients for the preceding year, classify as medium risk."
The CDC updated 1994 TB infection-control guidelines at the request of the Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis. "This document places emphasis on actions to maintain momentum and expertise needed to avert another TB resurgence and to eliminate the lingering threat to HCWs (health care workers), which is mainly from patients or others with unsuspected and undiagnosed infectious TB disease," says a CDC summary of the updated guidelines.
In addition to a link at the ADA topical page, the guidelines are online in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report  . Dentists also may call the ADA Chicago office for the information and ask for the dedicated Division of Science ext. 2878. The CDC's TB Web site offers additional training and education materials at www.cdc.gov/tb and www.findtbresources.org .
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