Reactividad al PPD en estudiantes de ciencias biomédicas de la Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, México, 2005.

A study was conducted in 2005, with students from biomedical careers (medicine, nursing and stomatology) and compared to students of a non-biomedical career (public accounts) from the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes, all enrolled on initial semesters, intermediate and the end of their studies. All students were applied five units of purified protein derivative CT68 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and the interpretation of the test was made within 48 to 72 hours applied, in accordance with international standards. The reading was interpreted as a negative test when the induration was less than 5 mm; negative but expected by previous vaccination with BCG when there were between 5 and 10 mm, and positive with an induration exceeding 10 mm. The differences in the mean, standard deviation and standard error of the reading is presented in the PPD of medical students between the fifth and ninth semester (50< 9 0, p <0.05) in the nursing between the fifth and seventh semester (50<70, p <0.05), and students from public accountancy between the fifth and ninth semesters (50 <09, p <0.01), with no differences in the reactivity of pupils of different semesters of stomatology. The most marked difference was presented at the reactivity exceeding 10 mm in nursing groups, with 0% in the first half to 50% in students from the last semesters, which suggests exposure to mycobacteria, and requires assessing whether that happened in strengthened response versus positive conversion to the test. It is recommended by the survey results, that the medical and nursing students in contact with patients in their clinical practice are at risk of infection, not present due to an appropriate immune response, without developing disease or even as having it as an occupational risk, to have an annual monitoring since joining with PPD to evaluate conversion to the test, as well as strengthen preventive measures against tuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]