The German Respiratory Society (DGP) is expecting patients with tuberculosis (TB) to be among the war refugees from Ukraine. "Therefore, it must be ensured that these people continue to be medically treated without any breaks, so that their treatment is successful," said Torsten Bauer, MD, in a press release from the DGP and the German Central Committee Against Tuberculosis (DZK). Bauer is president of the DGP and DZK, as well as chief physician of the Heckeshorn Pulmonary Clinic in Berlin.
The current challenge is to identify those war refugees who are infected with TB so that they may be treated further. This is not so simple, but it is feasible, said Bauer.
"Not all refugees are routinely screened for TB. There have always been efforts to examine individuals such as au pairs from Ukraine or countries with a similarly high incidence of TB. But to date, there is no legal basis for this," he said. "The Infection Protection Law is only effective if these people are housed in shared accommodations. Screening for TB takes place there."
For adults, an X-ray image is usually taken as well. For children, an interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) ideally should be performed for further clarification.
