The use of "Diaskintest" in the screening of tuberculosis infection among the staff in the Bureau of Forensic Medical Service: the results of a prospective study

In the Republic of Tatarstan (RT), as in the Russian Federation (RF), tuberculosis is the leading nosological form in the structure of occupational diseases (OD) from the effects of biological factors. Although tuberculosis, as a disease, is most common among medical workers (MW) of anti-tuberculosis institutions (80%), the remaining 20% of MW with diagnosed occupational tuberculosis are employees of the Bureau of Forensic Medical Service, neuropsychiatric institutions, and the Federal Penitentiary Service.

The study aims to analyze the results of a sample with the tuberculosis recombinant allergen (TRA) "Diaskintest" in employees of the Bureau of Forensic Medical Service (FMS) for screening tuberculosis infection at periodic medical examination.

Scientists conducted the study of the employees of the FMS Bureau by staging an intradermal sample with the drug "Diaskintest" (DST) in the conditions of a general medical network in the city of Kazan based on the State Autonomous Health Institution "City Polyclinic No. 18". The first stage of the study was the analysis of the results of tuberculin diagnostics using DST under the clinical recommendations "Latent tuberculosis infection (LTI) in children". The second stage of the study, prospectively, using a continuous method, taking into account contraindications to all employees responding to the TRA, conducted a comprehensive examination using computed tomography of the chest organs (CT CO) to exclude the tuberculosis process.

We examined 64 employees of the Republican Bureau of the Forensic Medical Service of the Ministry of Health, Republic of Tatarstan, for tuberculosis infection with a breakdown of the TRA. The number of positive samples was 40 (62.5%), a negative result had 24 employees. In addition, the researchers conducted X-ray computed tomography of the chest organs. As a result, we diagnosed active tuberculosis in 4 employees, tuberculosis of questionable activity in 5, metatuberculous changes in 11 people, latent tuberculosis infection (without focal changes according to CT CO) in 14 people.

We recommend using a skin test with the allergen tuberculosis recombinant DST at a periodic medical examination for the timely diagnosis of tuberculosis in the staff of the forensic medical examination.

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