Tuberculosis (TB), even though a disease as old as the human species, remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide by an infectious agent. Such situation has increased by the COVID-19 pandemic which, for the first time in more than ten years, led to an increase in the mortality rate by TB (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). Early identification of new cases, curtail transmission in the community, and screening those who have been exposed to exclude latent infection are among the key strategies for TB control both nationally and globally. It is quite evident that the contacts of a person with active TB constitute a high-risk group. As such, they need to be oriented towards active contact tracing and therefore early detection of active or latent TB in furtherance of the primary goal of initiating treatment or prophylaxis as early as possible and thereby interrupting the transmission of the disease in compliance with the recommendations of the National Tuberculosis Programme (PNT). Delayed TB index case detection and inadequate or incomplete contact investigation will invariably lead to TB outbreaks. This report represents a critical analysis of the community intervention project developed at a Public Health Unit (USP) in the Lisbon and Tejo Valley Region, between September 6 and December 18, 2021. The focus of this project was to contribute to the optimization of contact tracing within the scope of the epidemiological survey on TB patients carried out by the USP nursing team. This project is based on Nola Pender's Health Promotion Model and is supported by the Health Planning methodology, according to Tavares (1990), and as such is developed according to its phases and guidelines. The path undertaken provided the development of specific competencies of a Nurse Specialist in Community Health Nursing and Public Health Nursing and a master’s degree.
Date of Award | 14 Sept 2022 |
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Original language | Portuguese |
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Awarding Institution | - Universidade Católica Portuguesa
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Supervisor | Ana Resende (Supervisor) |
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- Tuberculosis
- Contact investigation
- Health promotion
- Community health nursing
- Public health
Identificação de contactos da pessoa com tuberculose: uma intervenção de enfermagem comunitária
Lopes, M. C. M. V. (Student). 14 Sept 2022
Student thesis: Master's Thesis