[Investigation of a pulmonary tuberculosis outbreak].

Diagnoses of infectious tuberculosis (TB) patients were followed by thorough contact investigation on the basis of our hospital's Infectious Disease Manual ever since an infection of an inpatient with extended hospital stay was confirmed by a positive acid-fast sputum smear in October 1998. In September 2000, a nurse was found to have pulmonary TB and another was given a diagnosis of right tuberculous pleuritis the following November. Contact investigations were expedited among all hospital staff, families of the infected nurses, and all suspected inpatients. Five were diagnosed as TB, 8 were given chemoprophylaxis and 8 others required observation. The result verified a TB outbreak within the hospital, and management of TB infection control was re-enforced subsequently. We concluded that immediate contact investigation promoted successful early diagnosis, and reacknowledged the significance of the health supervision of all staff, operations including the environment and equipment control of the institution, and frequent contact and integration with the administration of the public health center. This experience enabled a useful revision of the disease manual for the future.