Current recommendations for tuberculosis control are to screen high risk populations and provide chemoprophylaxis for those infected. In Edmonton, Alberta, one strategy has been to identify and provide TB skin tests to newly arrived immigrant school age children from TB endemic areas. The difficulty has been in identifying these children in the school population. This article describes a process tried in 1993-34 to find a better approach and to determine the outcome of a concentrated effort at screening and follow-up of this population. Using this method, 1146 students were TB skin tested using 5tu PPD: 15% showed significant reactions (10 mm), 89% were offered chemoprophylaxis, and 68% of those offered (84% of those accepting) completed 9 months of chemoprophylaxis. The success of this process was dependent on the dedicated follow-up provided by the specialty public health clinic devoted to the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis.

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statistical analysis immigrant mass screening follow up human intradermal drug administration Skin Tests Health Care Costs School Health Services Humans Adolescent Antitubercular Agents Canada tuberculosis Alberta Risk Factors high risk population school Article program evaluation tuberculin test isoniazid skin manifestation endemic disease tuberculosis control normal human chemoprophylaxis Emigration and Immigration aftercare public health tuberculin Child