Latent tuberculosis infection screening and treatment outcomes in healthcare workers in Irish hospitals: a multi-centre cohort study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objective: To evaluate factors associated with positive LTBI screening among HCWs and predictors of treatment initiation and completion across hospital sites in Ireland. Design: Multicentre retrospective cohort study. Setting: Five hospital sites in Ireland. Participants: N = 755 healthcare workers (HCWs). Methods: Evaluation of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) by interferon gamma release assay in HCWs from high-incidence countries during 2023, identified via occupational health records. IGRA positivity rates, linkage to treatment and treatment outcomes were recorded. Demographic and occupational factors associated with these outcomes were investigated. Results: There were n = 755 HCWs from high-incidence TB countries identified via occupational health records eligible for LTBI screening. 719 underwent IGRA testing, of whom 93 (13%) were positive. Age > 50 was associated with IGRA positivity (OR 5.71; 95% CI 1.79–18.17; P = .003). In addition to these n = 93 HCWs, two additional sites provided treatment outcomes for n = 164 HCWs, and a further n = 58 IGRA-positive HCWs were referred to Site 1. Among these 313 IGRA-positive HCWs, 50% initiated therapy, with substantial variation across sites (27%–88%). Multivariable analysis showed study site, but not demographic factors, predicted treatment initiation ( P < .001). Common reasons for non-initiation included treatment refusal and non-attendance. Treatment completion was high (82%) and was not associated with study site. Conclusions: LTBI prevalence among HCWs in Ireland was lower than international estimates. While treatment initiation was low, completion was high. Treatment initiation varied by site, driven by institutional rather than individual factors. A standardised national programmatic approach is needed for HCWs within the LTBI cascade of care.
Authors: Melva Tan, Zainab Albaggal, Ciara Anderson, Daragh McGee, Cian Carey, Aoife Hehir, Dominick P. Natin, Maria Lenehan, Brian McCullagh, Lorraine Dolan, Eleanor Cronin, Noirin Noonan, Michelle Coleman, Anne Marie McLaughlin, Eileen Sykes, John Gallagher, Sarah O’Beirne, Deborah Moriarty, Grant Jeffrey, Eoin Feeney, Colm Bergin, Catherine Fleming, Arthur Jackson, Joseph Keane, Carlos Mejia-Chew, Liam Townsend
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,550
OpenAlex ID: W7154159945