The use of diagnostic systems for tuberculosis in children

Diagnostic Accuracy of Clinical Diagnostic Scoring Systems for Childhood Tuberculosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background

Diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis (TB) poses several challenges. Therefore, point-based scoring systems and diagnostic algorithms have been developed to improve the diagnostic yields in this population. However, there are no updated systematic reviews of the existing childhood TB scoring systems and algorithms. Hence, we systematically reviewed the diagnostic accuracy of the childhood TB diagnostic scoring systems and algorithms.

Methods

We systematically searched PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases for relevant articles published until 30 March 2023. QUADAS-2 was used to assess their study quality. Diagnostic accuracy measures (ie, sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio, positive and negative likelihood ratios) were pooled using a random-effects model.

Results

We included 15 eligible studies, with a total of 7327 study participants aged <15 years, with 10 evaluations of childhood TB diagnostic scoring systems and algorithms. Among these algorithms and scoring systems, only 3 were evaluated more than once. These were the Keith Edwards scoring system with 5 studies (sensitivity, 81.9%; specificity, 81.2%), Kenneth Jones criteria with 3 studies (sensitivity, 80.1%; specificity, 45.7%), and the Ministry of Health-Brazil algorithm with 3 studies (sensitivity, 79.9%; specificity, 73.2%).

Conclusions

We recommend using the Keith Edwards scoring system because of its high sensitivity and specificity. Further research is necessary to assess the effectiveness of scoring systems and algorithms in identifying TB in children with HIV and malnutrition.

Diagnostic accuracy of clinical diagnostic scoring systems for childhood tuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

INTRODUCTION

Diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis (TB) poses several challenges. Therefore, clinical signs and symptoms, radiological studies, laboratory examinations, point-based scoring systems or diagnostic algorithms have been developed to improve diagnostic yields in this population. However, there are limited data on the diagnostic test accuracy of paediatric TB scoring systems. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aims to synthesise the available evidence on the diagnostic accuracy of childhood TB diagnostic scoring systems.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This protocol describes a systematic review, developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses of Diagnostic Test Accuracy. We will conduct a comprehensive literature search for relevant articles in the following databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus and Cochrane Databases. The eligibility criteria for studies will be formulated based on the Participants (Population), Index Test, Comparator Test and Target Condition criteria for the review question. The index test will be defined as any attempt to diagnose childhood TB using either a scoring system or a diagnostic algorithm, whereas a composite reference standard will be used as a reference standard. This will include any attempt to confirm diagnosis of TB. Where bacteriological confirmation is not obtained and there are at least two of the following features: chest radiograph consistent with TB, immunological evidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and/or positive response to TB treatment will also be considered. The QUADAS-2 Tool will be used to assess the quality of the studies. The diagnostic accuracy measures (ie, sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive and positive predictive values) will be pooled with the random-effects or fixed-effects models, as appropriate. All statistical analyses will be performed using the Review Manager V.5.4.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This research is exempt from ethics approval given that this is a protocol for a systematic review, which uses published data. The findings from this review will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and scientific conferences.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42022367049.

Predictors of tuberculosis disease in smokers: a case-control study in northeastern Malaysia

Objective

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading infectious disease. However, many TB cases remain undetected and only present symptoms at a late stage of the infection. Therefore, targeted TB screening in high-risk populations, including smokers, is crucial. This study aimed to determine the predictors of TB disease among the smoker population in northeast Malaysia from 2019 to 2020.

Methods

A case-control study was conducted involving smokers aged 18 years and older from health clinics in Bachok Kelantan, Malaysia. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews or telephone calls from 159 participants, randomly selected from outpatient TB records. Simple and multiple logistic regression, using R software, were used to identify the determinants of TB.

Results

Most participants were male (59.1%) and had a secondary education (56.0%). Active smokers constituted 35.2% of the group, and the mean (SD) duration of exposure to smoking was 23.9 (16.47) and 18.4 (12.84) years for the case and control groups, respectively. Being an ex-smoker (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 6.17; 95% CI [1.55-28.32]; p = 0.013), weight loss (AOR 13.45; 95% CI [4.58-44.46]; p < 0.005), night sweats (AOR 63.84; 95% CI [8.99-1392.75]; p < 0.005) and duration of symptoms (AOR 1.02; 95% CI [1.01-1.04]; p = 0.022) were shown to be significant predictors for TB disease.

Conclusion

Four predictors of TB disease in the population of smokers were recognised in this study and should be prioritised for early TB screening and diagnosis. This may help increase TB detection, initiate prompt treatment and reduce complications among the group at risk for TB.

High burden of childhood tuberculosis in migrants: a retrospective cohort study from the Thailand-Myanmar border

BACKGROUND

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children but epidemiological data are scarce, particularly for hard-to-reach populations. We aimed to identify the risk factors for unsuccessful outcome and TB mortality in migrant children at a supportive residential TB programme on the Thailand-Myanmar border.

METHODS

We conducted retrospective analysis of routine programmatic data for children (aged ≤ 15 years old) with TB diagnosed either clinically or bacteriologically between 2013 and 2018. Treatment outcomes were described and risk factors for unsuccessful outcome and death were identified using multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

Childhood TB accounted for a high proportion of all TB diagnoses at this TB programme (398/2304; 17.3%). Bacteriological testing was done on a quarter (24.9%) of the cohort and most children were diagnosed on clinical grounds (94.0%). Among those enrolled on treatment (n = 367), 90.5% completed treatment successfully. Unsuccessful treatment outcomes occurred in 42/398 (10.6%) children, comprising 26 (6.5%) lost to follow-up, one (0.3%) treatment failure and 15 (3.8%) deaths. In multivariable analysis, extra-pulmonary TB [adjusted OR (aOR) 3.56 (95% CI 1.12-10.98)], bacteriologically confirmed TB [aOR 6.07 (1.68-21.92)] and unknown HIV status [aOR 42.29 (10.00-178.78)] were independent risk factors for unsuccessful outcome. HIV-positive status [aOR 5.95 (1.67-21.22)] and bacteriological confirmation [aOR 9.31 (1.97-44.03)] were risk factors for death in the secondary analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Children bear a substantial burden of TB disease within this migrant population. Treatment success rate exceeded the WHO End TB target of 90%, suggesting that similar vulnerable populations could benefit from the enhanced social support offered by this TB programme, but better child-friendly diagnostics are needed to improve the quality of diagnoses.

Alert sign and symptoms for the early diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis: analysis of patients followed by a tertiary pediatric hospital

Background

Intercepting earlier suspected TB (Tuberculosis) cases clinically is necessary to reduce TB incidence, so we described signs and symptoms of retrospective cases of pulmonary TB and tried to evaluate which could be early warning signs.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective descriptive study of pulmonary TB cases in children in years 2005–2017; in years 2018–2020 we conducted a cohort prospective study enrolling patients < 18 years accessed to Emergency Department (ED) with signs/symptoms suggestive of pulmonary TB.

Results

In the retrospective analysis, 226 patients with pulmonary TB were studied. The most frequently described items were contact history (53.5%) and having parents from countries at risk (60.2%). Cough was referred in 49.5% of patients at onset, fever in 46%; these symptoms were persistent (lasting ≥ 10 days) in about 20%. Lymphadenopathy is described in 15.9%. The prospective study enrolled 85 patients of whom 14 (16.5%) were confirmed to be TB patients and 71 (83.5%) were non-TB cases. Lymphadenopathy and contact history were the most correlated variables. Fever and cough lasting ≥ 10 days were less frequently described in TB cases compared to non-TB patients (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

In low TB endemic countries, pulmonary TB at onset is characterized by different symptoms, i.e. persistent fever and cough are less described, while more relevant are contact history and lymphadenopathy. It was not possible to create a score because signs/symptoms usually suggestive of pulmonary TB (considered in the questionnaire) were not significant risk factors in our reality, a low TB country.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13052-022-01288-5.

Development and Validation of the Tuberculosis Risk Score for Smokers (TBRSS)

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health issue worldwide. However, the effectiveness of TB screening programmes among smokers is still questionable. There is a need for a simple, reliable, and validated screening system for this risk population. This study aimed to develop and validate the tuberculosis risk score for smokers (TBRSS) in Kelantan, Malaysia. A case–control study was conducted on 159 patients (smokers with and without TB) between January and July 2020. Simple and multiple logistic regressions were applied to determine the variables to be included in the risk score. The cut-off points to determine a score indicating low or high risk for TB disease were obtained based on the receiver operating characteristics curve. Content validation was carried out through interviews with eight experts to measure each variable′s relevancy. The face validation was conducted among 20 health clinic staff. Seven variables were selected for inclusion in the risk score. The chosen cut-off point was 16 (out of 43), with 91% and 78% sensitivity and specificity, respectively. The scale-level content validity index was 0.83, while the face validity index scores for each element ranged between 0.85 and 1.00. The TBRSS can be considered a validated screening tool for use in screening TB disease risk among smokers, which potentially may lead to an increased detection of TB disease in the community.

Caracterización de los pacientes menores de 15 años con tuberculosis en el Hospital Universitario San Vicente Fundación, 2011-2018

La Tuberculosis (TB) es la enfermedad infecciosa que más daño ha causado a la especie humana a lo largo de toda la historia, tanto por el número de enfermos como de muertos. Se ha calculado que en los últimos 200 años ha sido la responsable de la muerte de más de 1.000 millones de personas (1). La TB sigue siendo una de las enfermedades infecciosas más importante en esta época, y es el fiel reflejo de las enormes diferencias económicas y sociales que siguen existiendo en la población mundial1,2. Objetivo: describir las características demográficas y clínicas de los pacientes menores de 15 años con TB en el período 2011 – 2018 en un Hospital de cuarto nivel de la ciudad de Medellín – Colombia. Metodología: estudio observacional descriptivo de corte transversal. Incluyó pacientes menores de 15 años que asistieron al Hospital Universitario San Vicente Fundación (HUSVF) a quienes se les diagnosticó TB pulmonar y/o extrapulmonar, en el período comprendido entre enero de 2011 a diciembre de 2018. Resultados: 184 historias de pacientes con TB cumplieron los criterios de inclusión. Setenta y un pacientes (38.6 %) correspondían a TB pulmonar, 59 (32 %) a otras TB intratorácicas y 54 (29.3 %) a TB extrapulmonar. Las formas de TB más frecuentes fueron: ganglionar, del sistema nervioso central (SNC) y diseminada. De los niños menores de 5 años, el 50 % presentaron algún grado de desnutrición. La confirmación microbiológica por cultivo o baciloscopia (BK) estuvo presente en 91 pacientes (49.4 %) y por Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa (PCR) en 72 (39.1 %). Conclusiones: la TB infantil requiere un alto índice de sospecha. La suma de criterios es muy importante para su diagnóstico dada la fisiopatología de la enfermedad, sin embargo la búsqueda exhaustiva de la micobacteria es una estrategia útil para un tratamiento efectivo.

"Before Xpert I only had my expertise": A qualitative study on the utilization and effects of Xpert technology among pediatricians in 4 Indian cities

Background

Diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) in children presents considerable challenges. Upfront testing on Xpert® MTB/RIF (‘Xpert’)—a rapid molecular assay with high sensitivity and specificity—for pediatric presumptive TB patients, as recommended by India’s Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP), can pave the way for early TB diagnosis. As part of an ongoing project implemented by Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) dedicated to providing upfront free-of-cost (FOC) Xpert testing to children seeking care in the public and private sectors, a qualitative assessment was designed to understand how national guidelines on TB diagnosis and Xpert technology have been integrated into the pediatric TB care practices of different health providers.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured interviews with a sample of health providers from public and private sectors engaged in the ongoing pediatric project in 4 major cities of India. Providers were sampled from intervention data based on sector of practice, number of Xpert referrals, and TB detection rates amongst referrals. A total of 55 providers were interviewed with different levels of FOC Xpert testing uptake. Data were transcribed and analyzed inductively by a medical anthropologist using thematic content analysis and narrative analysis.

Results

It was observed that despite guidance from RNTCP on the use of Xpert and significant efforts by FIND and state authorities to disseminate these guidelines, there was notable diversity in their implementation by different health care providers. Xpert, apart from being utilized as intended, i.e. as a first diagnostic test for children, was utilized variably–as an initial screening test (to rule out TB), confirmatory test (once TB diagnosis is established based on antibiotic trial or clinically) and/or only for drug susceptibility testing after TB diagnosis was confirmed. Most providers who used Xpert frequently reported that Xpert was an important tool for managing pediatric TB cases, by reducing the proportion of cases diagnosed only on clinical suspicion and by providing upfront information on drug resistance, which is seldom suspected in children. Despite non-standard use, these results showed that Xpert access helped raise awareness, aided in antibiotic stewardship, and reduced dependence on clinical diagnosis among those who diagnose and treat TB in children.

Conclusion

Access to free and rapid Xpert testing for all presumptive pediatric TB patients has had multiple positive effects on pediatricians’ diagnosis and treatment of TB. It has important effects on speed of diagnosis, empirical treatment, and awareness of drug resistance among TB treatment naive children. In addition, our study shows that access to public sector Xpert machines may be an important way to encourage Public-Private integration and facilitate the movement of patients from the private to public sector for anti-TB treatment. Despite availability of rapid and free Xpert testing, our study showed an alarming diversity of Xpert utilization strategies across different providers who may be moving toward suggested practice over time. The degree of diversity in TB diagnostic approaches in children reported here highlights the urgent need for concerted efforts to place Xpert early in diagnostic algorithms to positively impact the pediatric TB care pathway. A positive change in diagnostic algorithms may be possible with continued advocacy, time, and increased access.

Tuberculosis exposure, infection and disease in children: a systematic diagnostic approach

The accurate diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in children remains challenging. A myriad of common childhood diseases can present with similar symptoms and signs, and differentiating between exposure and infection, as well as infection and disease can be problematic. The paucibacillary nature of childhood TB complicates bacteriological confirmation and specimen collection is difficult. In most instances intrathoracic TB remains a clinical diagnosis. TB infection and disease represent a dynamic continuum from TB exposure with/without infection, to subclinical/incipient disease, to non-severe and severe disease. The clinical spectrum of intrathoracic TB in children is broad, and the classification of clinical, radiological, endoscopic, and laboratory findings into recognized clinical syndromes allows a more refined diagnostic approach in order to minimize both under- and over-diagnosis. Bacteriological confirmation can be improved significantly by collecting multiple, high-quality specimens from the most appropriate source. Mycobacterial testing should include traditional smear microscopy and culture, as well as nucleic acid amplification testing. A systematic approach to the child with recent exposure to TB, or with clinical and radiological findings compatible with this diagnosis, should allow pragmatic classification as TB exposure, infection, or disease to facilitate timely and appropriate management. It is important to also assess risk factors for TB disease progression and to undertake follow-up evaluations to monitor treatment response and ongoing evidence supporting a TB, or alternative, diagnosis.

Active Tuberculosis in HIV-Exposed Tanzanian Children up to 2 years of Age: Early-Life Nutrition, Multivitamin Supplementation and Other Potential Risk Factors

BACKGROUND

Over half a million children worldwide develop active tuberculosis (TB) each year. Early-life nutritional exposures have rarely been examined in relation to pediatric TB among HIV-exposed children. We therefore investigated independent associations of early-life nutritional exposures with active TB among HIV-exposed children up to 2 years of age.

METHODS

Participants were children from a randomized controlled multivitamin supplementation trial conducted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from August 2004 to May 2008, who received daily multivitamin supplements or placebo for 24 months.

RESULTS

Lower mean corpuscular volumes [relative risks (RR): 0.48, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.27, 0.87] and higher birth weights (RR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.37, 0.99) were protective against active TB, whereas multivitamin supplementation was not associated with TB risk (RR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.65, 1.16).

CONCLUSIONS

Knowledge of nutrition-related risk and protective factors for TB in HIV-exposed children could enhance preventive and case-finding activities in this population, contributing to efforts to reduce the global TB burden.

Understanding NIH clinical case definitions for pediatric intrathoracic TB by applying them to a clinical trial

SETTING

Standardized clinical case definitions represent the best option for pediatric tuberculosis (TB) disease diagnosis and classification.

OBJECTIVE

To apply published guidelines for intrathoracic TB classification for use in reporting diagnostic studies with passive case finding to presumed TB patients from International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials P1041, a trial of isoniazid prophylaxis in healthy human immunodeficiency virus exposed, bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccinated infants which employed active surveillance to assess a novel application of these guidelines in this setting.

METHODS

P1041 presumed TB patients were retrospectively cross-classified by protocol-defined and National Institutes of Health (NIH) classifications, and agreement was assessed.

RESULTS

Of 219 TB suspects, 166 had signs/symptoms, with 158 considered TB (21 confirmed, 92 probable, 45 possible) and 8 not TB (6 TB unlikely, 2 alternative diagnoses). Weight loss and failure to thrive represented the majority of the observed signs/symptoms. Among those with signs/symptoms, agreement between definitions was poor. Furthermore, 53 TB presumptives were without signs/symptoms, including 33 classified by the P1041 protocol as TB.

CONCLUSION

Poor agreement between P1041 and NIH classifications reflects cases identified through active vs. passive surveillance, the latter reflecting the intended use of NIH definitions. Given the interest in standardized definitions for broader application, future efforts could focus on expanding TB disease classification to presumed TB patients identified through active surveillance.

Patching the gaps towards the 90-90-90 targets: outcomes of Nigerian children receiving antiretroviral treatment who are co-infected with tuberculosis

INTRODUCTION

Nigeria has a high burden of children living with HIV and tuberculosis (TB). This article examines the magnitude of TB among children receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART), compares their ART outcomes with their non-TB counterparts and argues that addressing TB among children on ART is critical for achieving the 90-90-90 targets.

METHODS

This was a facility-based, retrospective analysis of medical records of children aged <15 years who were newly initiated on ART between 2011 and 2012. Structured tools were used to collect data. STATA software was used to perform descriptive, survival and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 1142 children with a median age of 3.5 years from 20 selected facilities were followed for 24 months. Of these, 95.8% were assessed for TB at ART initiation and 14.7% had TB. Children on ART were more likely to have TB if they were aged 5 years or older (p<0.01) and had delayed ART initiation (p<0.05). The cotrimoxazole and isoniazid prophylaxes were provided to 87.9 and 0.8% of children, respectively. The rate of new TB cases was 3 (2.2-4.0) per 100 person-years at six months and declined to 0.2 (0.06-1.4) per 100 person-years at 24 months. TB infection [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 4.3; 2.3-7.9], malnutrition (aHR: 5.1; 2.6-9.8), delayed ART initiation (aHR: 3.2; 1.5-6.7) and age less than 1 year at ART initiation (aHR: 4.0; 1.4-12.0) were associated with death. Additionally, patients with TB (aHR: 1.3; 1.1-1.6) and children below the age of 1 at ART initiation (aHR: 2.9; 1.7-5.2) were more likely to be lost to follow-up (LFU).

CONCLUSIONS

Children on ART with TB are less likely to survive and more likely to be LFU. These risks, along with low isoniazid uptake and delayed ART initiation, present a serious challenge to achieving the 90-90-90 targets and underscore an urgent need for inclusion of childhood TB/HIV in global plans and reporting mechanisms.

Xpert MTB/RIF assay for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in children: a prospective, multi-centre evaluation

BACKGROUND

Following endorsement by the World Health Organisation, the Xpert MTB/RIF assay has been widely incorporated into algorithms for the diagnosis of adult tuberculosis (TB). However, data on its performance in children remain scarce. This prospective, multi-centre study evaluated the performance of Xpert MTB/RIF to diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis in children.

METHODS

Children older than eight weeks and younger than 16 years with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis were enrolled at three TB endemic settings in Tanzania and Uganda, and assigned to five well-defined case definition categories: culture-confirmed TB, highly probable TB, probable TB, not TB, or indeterminate. The diagnostic accuracy of Xpert MTB/RIF was assessed using culture-confirmed TB cases as reference standard.

RESULTS

In total, 451 children were enrolled. 37 (8%) had culture-confirmed TB, 48 (11%) highly probably TB and 62 probable TB (13%). The Xpert MTB/RIF assay had a sensitivity of 68% (95% CI, 50%-82%) and specificity of 100% (95% CI, 97%-100%); detecting 1.7 times more culture-confirmed cases than smear microscopy with a similar time to detection. Xpert MTB/RIF was positive in 2% (1/48) of highly probable and in 3% (2/62) of probable TB cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Xpert MTB/RIF provided timely results with moderate sensitivity and excellent specificity compared to culture. Low yields in children with highly probable and probable TB remain problematic.

Assessment of the novel T-cell activation marker-tuberculosis assay for diagnosis of active tuberculosis in children: a prospective proof-of-concept study

BACKGROUND

The diagnosis of paediatric tuberculosis is complicated by non-specific symptoms, difficult specimen collection, and the paucibacillary nature of the disease. We assessed the accuracy of a novel immunodiagnostic T-cell activation marker-tuberculosis (TAM-TB) assay in a proof-of-concept study to identify children with active tuberculosis.

METHODS

Children with symptoms that suggested tuberculosis were prospectively recruited at the NIMR-Mbeya Medical Research Center in Mbeya, and the Ifakara Health Institute in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, between May 10, 2011, and Sept 4, 2012. Sputum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained for Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture and performance assessment of the TAM-TB assay. The children were assigned to standardised clinical case classifications based on microbiological and clinical findings.

FINDINGS

Among 290 children screened, we selected a subgroup of 130 to ensure testing of at least 20 with culture-confirmed tuberculosis. 17 of 130 children were excluded because of inconclusive TAM-TB assay results. The TAM-TB assay enabled detection of 15 of 18 culture-confirmed cases (sensitivity 83·3%, 95% CI 58·6-96·4). Specificity was 96·8% (95% CI 89·0-99·6) in the cases that were classified as not tuberculosis (n=63), with little effect from latent tuberculosis infection. The TAM-TB assay identified five additional patients with highly probable or probable tuberculosis, in whom M tuberculosis was not isolated. The median time to diagnosis was 19·5 days (IQR 14-45) for culture.

INTERPRETATION

The sputum-independent TAM-TB assay is a rapid and accurate blood test that has the potential to improve the diagnosis of active tuberculosis in children.

FUNDING

European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and Swiss National Science Foundation.

Tuberculosis in indigenous children in the Brazilian Amazon

OBJECTIVE: Assess the epidemiological aspects of tuberculosis in Brazilian indigenous children and actions to control it. METHODS: An epidemiological study was performed with 356 children from 0 to 14 years of age in Rondônia State, Amazon, Brazil, during the period 1997-2006. Cases of TB reported to the Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System were divided into indigenous and non-indigenous categories and analyzed according to sex, age group, place of residence, clinical form, diagnostic tests and treatment outcome. A descriptive analysis of cases and hypothesis test (χ²) was carried out to verify if there were differences in the proportions of illness between the groups investigated. RESULTS: A total of 356 TB cases were identified (125 indigenous, 231 non-indigenous) of which 51.4% of the cases were in males. In the indigenous group, 60.8% of the cases presented in children aged 0-4 years old. The incidence mean was much higher among indigenous; in 2001, 1,047.9 cases/100,000 inhabitants were reported in children aged < 5 years. Pulmonary TB was reported in more than 80% of the cases, and in both groups over 70% of the cases were cured. Cultures and histopathological exams were performed on only 10% of the patients. There were 3 cases of TB/HIV co-infection in the non-indigenous group and none in the indigenous group. The case detection rate was classified as insufficient or fair in more than 80% of the indigenous population notifications, revealing that most of the diagnoses were performed based on chest x-ray. CONCLUSIONS: The approach used in this study proved useful in demonstrating inequalities in health between indigenous and non-indigenous populations and was superior to the conventional analyses performed by the surveillance services, drawing attention to the need to improve childhood TB diagnosis among the indigenous population.

Scoring system for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in indigenous children and adolescents under 15 years of age in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the process of diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis in smear-negative indigenous children and adolescents under 15 years of age with the modified Brazilian National Ministry of Health Scoring System (mBNMH-SS).

METHODS

This was a retrospective descriptive study involving 49 indigenous patients under 15 years of age with tuberculosis, treated between 2007 and 2010 in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

RESULTS

Of the 49 patients, 27 (56%) were under 5 years of age, 33 (67%) had symptoms suggestive of tuberculosis, 24 (49%) were underweight, and 36 (73.5%) had been BCG vaccinated. The tuberculin skin test was positive in 28 patients (57%), 18 (64%) of whom had an induration > 10 mm. Chest X-rays were performed in 37 (76%) of the patients, 31 (84%) of whom had only one chest X-ray taken. Among those 37 patients, the radiological findings were suggestive of tuberculosis in 16 (43%), infiltration/condensation in 10 (27%), and normal in 4 (11%). The Indigenous Health Care Teams made the diagnosis in 31 (63%) of the cases, using the original BNMH-SS in only 14 (45%). We calculated the mBNMH-SS scores for 30 (61%) of the 49 patients. Among the 30 cases scored, a diagnosis of tuberculosis was found to be highly likely, possible, and unlikely in 16 (53%), 11 (37%), and 3 (10%), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The proportion of highly likely and possible diagnoses was consistent with the standard proportion of cases diagnosed by the teams (90%), demonstrating the epidemiological applicability of the mBNMH-SS for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in the indigenous population, within the scenario of the health care provided.

Diagnosis and management of TB in children: an update

In recent years, several notable modifications have occurred in the management of TB infection and disease in children. First, we review new data related to infection, including alternative regimens for the treatment of latent TB, management of drug-resistant infection and preventive therapy in the context of HIV infection. Next, we summarize updated WHO guidelines for the treatment of TB in children, explore issues specific to the management of disease in HIV-infected children, and retreatment of TB, and review pediatric recommendations for the management of drug-resistant TB. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of adjunctive therapy and new drugs in development.