[Compliance of asylum seekers with an expanded border health screening program in the Basel-Stadt canton 1992-1993].

Abstract

In 1992, the Swiss Public Health Office introduced an expanded tuberculosis screening program for refugees. In addition to routine chest X-rays, it includes tuberculosis skin testing and prophylactic treatment with isoniazid of skin test positive individuals. In addition, a vaccine program has been established which, besides routine hepatitis B vaccination of anti-HBc negative individuals, includes vaccination of all refugees against tetanus, diphtheria, polio, measles, mumps and rubella. The two-year experience of this expanded program is reported from Canton Basel-Stadt, Switzerland. During the two-year period (1992 to 1993), 289 adults and 53 children were screened. In 3.1% (n = 9) of 289 refugees who were examined by X-ray, smear positive tuberculosis was found. These 9 cases contributed 12% of all tuberculosis cases identified in Canton Basel-Stadt during the observation period. In 4.4% of all refugees prophylactic treatment with isoniazid was initiated, but 7 of the 15 cases (46.6%) did not complete the prophylaxis. In contrast, compliance with the vaccine program was better and complete vaccination was achieved in 90% of all refugees. The prevalence of anti-HBc antibodies was 28.7% and highest among refugees from Turkey (48.6%) and Africa (34.2%). X-ray screening for tuberculosis in high risk populations such as refugees is effective. However, compliance with 6 months' prophylactic treatment with isoniazid for skin test positives was only moderate.

• Authors: H Bucher, M Weinbacher, K Gyr
• Journal: Schweizerische medizinische Wochenschrift (Schweiz Med Wochenschr) Vol. 124 Issue 38 Pg. 1660-5 (Sep 24 1994) ISSN: 0036-7672 [Print] Switzerland
• Vernacular Title: Compliance von Asylbewerbern mit der erweiterten grenzsanitarischen Untersuchung im Kanton Basel-Stadt 1992-1993.
• PMID: 7939533 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• BCG Vaccine
• Hepatitis B Core Antigens
• Isoniazid

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• BCG Vaccine (administration & dosage)
• Child
• Hepatitis B Core Antigens (isolation & purification)
• Humans
• Immunization
• Isoniazid (therapeutic use)
• Mass Screening
• Patient Compliance
• Radiography
• Refugees
• Switzerland
• Tuberculosis, Pulmonary (diagnostic imaging, prevention & control)