Course Outline
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- Introduction
- Introduction
- Historical Background
- What is the Difference Between LTBI and Active TB?
- Terminology
- List of Terms and Abbreviations
- Which of the following statements is correct regarding LTBI?
- Select the statement which best corresponds to the abbreviation: IGRA.
- Etiology and Pathogenesis of TB Disease and LTBI
- Etiology: What is the Cause of Tuberculosis?
- Pathogenesis: What is the Process by which Tuberculosis (TB) Develops?
- Pathogenesis: What is the Process by which Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI) Develops?
- Pathogenesis: Risk of Activation from LTBI to Active TB Disease
- Individuals with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) experience what immune response?
- Expected laboratory findings in a case of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) might be:
- The risk of activation from LTBI to active TB disease is approximately 17-20% over an individual's lifetime.
- Epidemiology
- Targeted Testing: Who Should be Tested?
- Targeted Testing: Who Should be Tested for TB Infection?
- Targeted Testing: Who Should be Tested for TB Infection? (continued...)
- Special Consideration: Those Vaccinated with Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) Vaccine
- Persons at high risk for TB infection fall into which two broad categories?
- Which statement best reflects people at high risk for TB infection or TB disease after infection? (Those targeted for testing?)
- TB Test Methods
- TB Test Methods
- Additional Considerations
- The Role of the Laboratorian: Troubleshooting Unusual Results
- Tuberculin Skin Test (TST)
- Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA)
- Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA): Description
- Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA): Procedure
- Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA): Interpretation of Results
- Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA): Limitations
- Which of the following is true of current IGRA test methods for determining TB status?
- The interferon gamma release assay (IGRA):
- Treatment and Management
- Recommended Treatment Regimens for LTBI
- Recommended Treatment Regimens for LTBI (continued...)
- Recommended Patient Management Regimen for LTBI
- In Summary
- Duration of drug treatment for LTBI may be as short as three months (12 total doses) and includes:
- Patient management for individuals on drug treatment for LTBI include:
- References
Additional Information
Level of instruction: Intermediate
Intended audience: This course is intended for microbiology and immunology bench technicians and technologists, supervisors, and administrators.
Author information: Dr. Julie Ann West is certified by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) as a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) and as a Specialist in Microbiology (SM). In addition, Dr. West has earned a PhD in Public Health - Infectious Disease Epidemiology and is Certified in Public Health (CPH) by the National Board of Public Health Examiners. Dr. West is experienced as a Technical Specialist, Safety Officer, Educator, and Lead in the Veterans Administration Healthcare System, and has prior experience as an Administrative Laboratory Director.
Reviewer information: Christine Mayambala, PhD, is certified by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) as a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS). She has earned a PhD in Public Health - Epidemiology Specialization. Dr. Mayambala is experienced as a Generalist and Molecular Technologist. At present, Dr. Mayambala teaches pre-nursing and medical laboratory technology at a community college in Metro Atlanta.
Course description: This course provides information about the difference between active tuberculosis (TB) disease and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), etiology, pathogenesis, and distribution both in the US and globally. Targeted testing of individuals (based on risk factors), as well as laboratory testing methods (to include the tuberculin skin test [TST] and interferon gamma release assay [IGRA]) are described. An emphasis on laboratorian troubleshooting of aberrant results is included. The course concludes with a brief description of recommended treatment and management regimens for LTBI (including the role of laboratory in the monitoring of infected individuals).
