10 December 2008
A healthcare worker from University Hospitals Bristol NHS
Foundation Trust, based at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, has been
diagnosed with multi-drug resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB).
All patients who may have had contact with the infected
healthcare worker have been identified. As a result of a thorough
lookback exercise, 264 patients and staff were yesterday (Monday 8
December) sent a letter offering an appointment for screening as a
routine precaution. This is in line with national guidelines
for these incidents.
Christine Perry, Director of Infection Prevention and Control at
University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, said:
We have a duty to alert all those who have come into contact
with this healthcare worker of this issue and we are offering
everyone potentially exposed the opportunity to undergo screening
as a precaution. We understand that this may cause concern
but we would like to stress that the risk to these patients and
staff is very small.
Dr Joyshri Sarangi, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control
at the Health Protection Agency in Bristol, said:
People have to be in very close, frequent or prolonged contact
with an infected person to catch TB. Just being in the same room as
someone who has TB is not enough to catch the disease. We are
offering screening as a precaution, and have followed national
guidance on this extremely closely.
TB is a slow growing infection, which is passed from person to
person in a very small number of cases. The multi-drug resistant
form of TB is just as difficult to catch as ordinary TB. It can be
completely cured but requires different drugs to standard TB and a
longer course of treatment.
A helpline has been set up for affected patients to arrange
screening appointments and for further information or
advice.
