Evaluation of tuberculosis infection control measures in China's designated medical institutions: a comparative analysis of 2014 and 2022

Objective To assess the implementation of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures in municipal and higher-level tuberculosis (TB)-designated medical institutions and to identify areas for improvement by comparing data from 2014 and 2022. Methods This study compared infection control measures using data from 47 TB-designated medical institutions that participated in both the 2014 and 2022 national surveys. Implementation rates of administrative, environmental and respiratory protection measure were compared. Results A total of 47 institutions were analyzed, including 20 provincial institutions (42.6%) and 27 municipal institutions (57.4%). Overall infection control performance in 2022 was high and consistent across regions, levels, and grades. Significant improvements from 2014 to 2022 were observed in: dedicated pathways for patients/staff (80.9% vs. 97.9%, 17.0% increase), separate wards for smear-positive/smear-negative patients (63.8% vs. 87.2%, 23.4% increase), separate wards for drug-resistant/non-resistant patients (74.5% vs. 95.7%, 21.2% increase), and use of medical protective mask by staff (70.2% vs. 95.7%, 25.5% increase) (all P Conclusion Significant improvements in IPC measures were achieved between 2014 and 2022, particularly in administrative controls. However, further efforts are needed to standardize ward zoning management and ensure more equitable resource allocation across regions and institution levels.