Iowa Administrative Code
Agency 481 - Inspections and Appeals Department
Inspections Division
Chapter 59 - Tuberculosis (TB) Screening
Rule 481-59.8 - Baseline Tb Screening Procedures for Residents of Health Care Facilities

(1) Baseline TB screening is a formal procedure to evaluate residents for LTBI and TB disease. Baseline TB screening consists of two components:

(2) All residents shall be assessed for current symptoms of active TB disease upon admission. Within 72 hours of a resident's admission, baseline TB screening for infection shall be initiated unless baseline TB screening occurred within 90 days prior to the resident's admission.

(3) A resident with a new positive test result for M. tuberculosis infection (i.e., TST or IGRA) shall receive one chest radiograph result to exclude TB disease. Repeat radiographs are not needed unless signs or symptoms of TB disease develop or unless a repeat radiograph is recommended by a clinician.

(4) Residents with documentation of past positive test results (i.e., TST or IGRA) and documentation of the results of a chest radiograph indicating no active disease, dated after the date of the positive TST or IGRA test result, do not need another chest radiograph at the time of admission.

(5) TB, TST or IGRA tests for M. tuberculosis infection do not need to be performed for residents with a documented history of TB disease, documented previously positive test result for M. tuberculosis infection, or documented completion of treatment for LTBI or TB disease. Documentation of a previously positive test result for M. tuberculosis infection can be substituted for a baseline test result if the documentation includes a recorded TST result in millimeters or IGRA result, including the concentration of cytokine measured (e.g., IFN-g). All other residents should undergo baseline testing for M. tuberculosis infection to ensure that the test result on record in the setting has been performed and measured using the recommended diagnostic procedures.