title: Tuberculosis screening, referral, and treatment in an inner city homeless shelter in Orleans parish.
abstract: Tuberculosis screening and preventive therapy among the homeless has been a challenge because of the lack of coordinated follow-up. Homeless persons at a homeless shelter in inner city New Orleans were screened for tuberculosis infection and referred for follow-up evaluation and preventive therapy. Fifty-two percent of the 104 persons screened completed the initial evaluation. Twenty-two percent of these patients had latent tuberculosis infection. Forty-two percent of infected patients completed the referral and follow-up process. Patients during the second 3 months of the program were twice as likely to complete the initial evaluation, the referral, and the follow-up process as were patients during the first 3 months due to enhanced awareness and increased educational intervention. A competent referral system for homeless persons may be achieved by implementing a single-clinic, on-site tuberculosis screening and follow-up system with the active participation and coordination of state agencies, the medical community, and organizations which operate homeless facilities.
authors.affiliation: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Falchook
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gaffga
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eve
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ali
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008145:Louisiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011204:Poverty Areas; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014374:Tuberculin Test / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents