Table 6.
Projected outcomes of six TB screening strategies for a cohort of 1000 healthcare workers: alternate scenario with confirmatory repeat interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) (use of two sequential positive IGRAs to identify candidates for treatment of LTBI)
| Strategy | Cost in 2015 $CAN | QALYs | New active TB cases | Deaths due to active TB | Deaths due to adverse event to treatment of active TB | Deaths due to adverse event to treatment of LTBI | True positive results | False positive results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Post-exposure screening only | ||||||||
| Tuberculin SKIN Test | $66,387 | 15,239.98 | 3.03 | 0.13 | 0.0023 | 0.00036 | 63 | 6 |
| QuantiFERON®-TB-Gold | $77,521 | 15,239.85 | 2.97 | 0.13 | 0.0023 | 0.00040 | 67 | 11 |
| Targeted screening | ||||||||
| Tuberculin Skin Test | $151,517 | 15,237.96 | 2.83 | 0.12 | 0.0022 | 0.00093 | 67 | 109 |
| QuantiFERON®-TB-Gold | $260,558 | 15,239.67 | 2.67 | 0.12 | 0.0020 | 0.00049 | 78 | 17 |
| Annual screening | ||||||||
| Tuberculin Skin Test | $404,956 | 15,231.85 | 2.68 | 0.12 | 0.0020 | 0.00258 | 75 | 413 |
| QuantiFERON®-TB-Gold | $801,059 | 15,238.94 | 2.44 | 0.11 | 0.0019 | 0.00072 | 93 | 46 |
TB tuberculosis, QALYS quality-adjusted life years, LTBI latent tuberculosis infection