How often must employees be screened for TB?

• A. Within 2 weeks of hire and annually
• B. At hire and every five years
• C. Quarterly
• D. Only upon exposure

Answer: (A)

Screening frequency for TB in employees hinges on establishing a clear starting point and maintaining ongoing vigilance. Doing the TB test within two weeks of hire creates a baseline so you know each worker’s status before they begin patient contact, which helps prevent introducing a contagious case into the facility and guides any needed follow-up treatment. Following this with annual testing keeps monitoring ongoing, catching new infections that could arise from workplace exposure and protecting both residents and staff by allowing early intervention.

Choosing to screen only after exposure misses infections that may be present or develop without a clearly identifiable exposure event, and quarterly screening is typically more frequent than necessary for standard facilities. Waiting five years between screenings risks undetected new infections in a setting with ongoing exposure.