Factors associated with delayed screening of contacts of tuberculosis cases in the Somme, France.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the factors associated with the time to initiating tuberculosis contact investigations in the Somme department, France.


METHODS
All reported tuberculosis cases and all their contacts screened between 2007 and 2011 were retrospectively included. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine the factors associated with a "system delay"≤1 month and a "contact delay"≤0 days.


RESULTS
The mean time between the mandatory notification of a case of tuberculosis and the date set for the contact's screening (system delay) was 35.3 days and the average time between that date and when the contact was actually screened (contact delay) was 12.5 days. In multivariate analysis, a smear-positive sputum sample (OR: 3.68; 95% CI: 1.63-8.30) and a diagnosis at the university hospital (OR: 2.61; 95% CI: 1.14-5.96) were significantly associated with a system delay≤1 month. A smear-positive sputum sample (OR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.08-1.69), male gender (OR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.01-1.49), being born in a foreign country (OR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.02-1.69), being a family member (OR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.05-1.77), or being another type of close contact of the case (OR: 2.47; 95% CI: 1.81-3.36) were significantly associated with a contact delay≤0 days.


CONCLUSIONS
System and contact delays were longer than recommended, and the factors associated with the lengthening of these delays need to be taken into account.
Amiens University Hospital, Center for Prevention of Communicable Diseases, hôpital Sud, avenue Réné-Laennec, 80480 Amiens, France. Electronic address: y_poline@yahoo.fr.
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Yanogo
Amiens University Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, hôpital Sud, avenue Réné-Laennec, 80480 Amiens, France.
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Schmit
Amiens University Hospital, Center for Prevention of Communicable Diseases, hôpital Sud, avenue Réné-Laennec, 80480 Amiens, France.
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Fresse
Amiens University Hospital, Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, hôpital Sud, avenue Réné-Laennec, 80480 Amiens, France.
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Andrejak
Amiens University Hospital, Department of Virology, hôpital Sud, avenue Réné-Laennec, 80480 Amiens, France.
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Castelain
Amiens University Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, hôpital Sud, avenue Réné-Laennec, 80480 Amiens, France.
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Adjodah
Amiens University hospital, Cancer Registry of the Somme-Inserm EA-DGS EA 4666 Epidemiology and Public Health Service, hôpital Sud, avenue Réné-Laennec, 80480 Amiens, France.
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Ganry
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016358:Contact Tracing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission*; D055815:Young Adult
Contact investigation; Delay; Délai; Dépistage; France; Recherche de contacts; TB screening; Tuberculose; Tuberculosis