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Oxford University Press, Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, 1(4), p. 30-38, 2014

DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piu020

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Tuberculosis in Pediatric Antiretroviral Therapy Programs in Low-and Middle-Income Countries: Diagnosis and Screening Practices

Journal article published in 2015 by Z. Yao, E. Yunihastuti, C. Worrell, C. Yiannoutsos, B. Zwickl, Kara Wools-Kaloustian, M. Ballif ORCID, Lorna Renner, Jean Claude Dusingize, International Epidemiologic Databases, K. Wools-Kaloustian, Samuel Ayaya, L. M. Mofenson, C. C. McGowan, L. Renner and other authors.
This paper is available in a repository.
This paper is available in a repository.

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Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

The global burden of childhood tuberculosis (TB) is estimated to be 0.5 million new cases per year. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children are at high risk for TB. Diagnosis of TB in HIV-infected children remains a major challenge.; We describe TB diagnosis and screening practices of pediatric antiretroviral treatment (ART) programs in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. We used web-based questionnaires to collect data on ART programs and patients seen from March to July 2012. Forty-three ART programs treating children in 23 countries participated in the study.; Sputum microscopy and chest Radiograph were available at all programs, mycobacterial culture in 40 (93%) sites, gastric aspiration in 27 (63%), induced sputum in 23 (54%), and Xpert MTB/RIF in 16 (37%) sites. Screening practices to exclude active TB before starting ART included contact history in 41 sites (84%), symptom screening in 38 (88%), and chest Radiograph in 34 sites (79%). The use of diagnostic tools was examined among 146 children diagnosed with TB during the study period. Chest Radiograph was used in 125 (86%) children, sputum microscopy in 76 (52%), induced sputum microscopy in 38 (26%), gastric aspirate microscopy in 35 (24%), culture in 25 (17%), and Xpert MTB/RIF in 11 (8%) children.; Induced sputum and Xpert MTB/RIF were infrequently available to diagnose childhood TB, and screening was largely based on symptom identification. There is an urgent need to improve the capacity of ART programs in low- and middle-income countries to exclude and diagnose TB in HIV-infected children.