A university hospital's 10-year experience with tuberculin testing: value of the 2-step tuberculin skin test.

Background: The usefulness of the 2-step tuberculin skin test as a tool for monitoring tuberculosis exposure among health care workers is controversial.

Objectives: We aimed to determine the cost-effectiveness and influence of initiation of a preemployment, 2-step tuberculin skin-testing program on the annual tuberculin skin conversion rate among a university hospital's health care workers.

Methods: The tuberculin skin test conversion rates among the recipients of 31,729 tuberculin skin tests over 10 years were retrospectively analyzed.