This current GFC has exploded so many market myths....not the least of which is ME
CST has been doing the hard yards almost unnoticed. various markets in the US are moving towards QFT IT as the gold standard for LTBI testing.
TB is the single most deadly infectious disease known to man, and it is lethal.
CST has rapt up testing of HCWs. If HCWS prefer QFT why should TST begiven to anybody else
Interferon TB testing cost-effective for health care workers Interferon TB testing cost-effective for health care workers
Interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs) offer alternatives to tuberculin skin tests (TSTs) for diagnosing latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Unlike TSTs, IGRAs require only a single patient visit and are not affected by prior BCG vaccination. The newer QuantiFERON-TB Gold in Tube test (QFT-GIT) requires less manual processing time than the QuantiFERON-TB Gold test (QFT-G). These US authors compared the cost-effectiveness of the QFT-G, QFT-GIT, and TST for detecting LTBI in new health care workers (HCWs).
They found: "Both IGRAs were more effective and less costly than the TST, whether or not the HCW had been vaccinated with BCG previously. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of the QFT-G compared with the QFT-GIT was $14 092/QALY for non-BCG-vaccinated HCWs and $103 047/QALY for BCG- vaccinated HCWs. There was no prevalence of LTBI at which the TST became the most effective or least costly strategy. If the sensitivity of the QFT-GIT exceeds that of the QFT-G, then the QFT-GIT is the most effective and least costly strategy."
The authors concluded: "Use of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold and QuantiFERON-TB Gold in Tube leads to superior clinical outcomes and lower costs than the tuberculin skin tests and should be considered in screening non-BCG-vaccinated and BCG-vaccinated new health care workers for latent tuberculosis infection."
We can expect interferon TB testing to become more routine, especially for health care workers.
CST Price at posting:
$1.80 Sentiment: Hold Disclosure: Held
