A Collaborative Response by Public Health and Local Hospitals to a NICU Tuberculosis Exposure

摘要

BackgroundEarly recognition of tuberculosis (TB) cases is critical to prevent spread. Infants are at high risk for TB acquisition after exposure. A TB case went unrecognized despite seeking medical attention in December 2016 for a cough and suspicious radiographic and laboratory testing. During a two week period in November and December 2016 the case visited an infant in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) almost daily for extended periods of time. The NICU was housed in a local community hospital, but staffed by personnel from a separate local children’s hospital. On January 3, 2017, Summit County Public Health was notified of the case and after ascertaining the potential NICU TB exposure began a collaborative contact investigation with the community hospital and the children’s hospital staff, newborns and visitors to the NICU.