TB management in the European Union/European Economic Area: a multi-centre survey
Sotgiu G, Rosales-Klintz S, Centis R, D'Ambrosio L, Verduin R, Correia AM, Cirule A, Duarte R, et al. (17 authors)
The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease : the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease · 2021-02
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Essential TB care in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) comprises 21 standards for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of TB that constitute the European Union Standards for Tuberculosis Care (ESTC). METHODS: In 2017, we conducted an audit on TB management and infection control measures against the ESTC standards. TB reference centres in five EU/EEA countries were purposely selected to represent the heterogeneous European TB burden and examine geographic variability. RESULTS: Data from 122 patients, diagnosed between 2012 and 2015 with multidrug-resistant TB ( n = 49), extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) ( n = 11), pre-XDR-TB ( n = 29) and drug-susceptible TB ( n = 33), showed that TB diagnosis and treatment practices were in general in agreement with the ESTC. CONCLUSION: Overall, TB management and infection control practices were in agreement with the ESTC in the selected EU/EEA reference centres. Areas for improvement include strengthening of integrated care services and further implementation of patient-centred approaches.
MeSH terms
- Humans
- Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant
- Reference Standards
- European Union
- Europe
- Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis