Xpert MTB/RIF diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis from sputum and stool samples in a high TB-HIV-prevalent setting.

The Xpert MTB/RIF assay is a major advance for diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in high-burden countries but is limited in children by their difficulty to produce sputum. We investigated TB in sputum and stool from children with the aim of improving paediatric TB diagnosis. A prospective cohort of children with presumptive TB, provided two sputum or induced sputum at enrolment in a regional referral hospital in Uganda.

Treatment outcomes and tolerability of the revised WHO anti-tuberculosis drug dosages for children.

Background: In 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO) revised the paediatric dosages of anti-tuberculosis drugs, increasing rifampicin to 15 mg/kg, isoniazid to 10 mg/kg and pyrazinamide to 35 mg/kg. We assessed treatment outcomes, safety and adherence among children treated with the new recommended dosages.

Methods: Prospective cohort of children started on anti-tuberculosis treatment in Uganda with 12 months of follow-up, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT) monitoring.

Outcome of Children With Presumptive Tuberculosis in Mbarara, Rural Uganda.

Background: Mortality among children with presumptive tuberculosis (TB) empiric TB treatment can be high. We describe the predictors of death among children with presumptive TB, and the relation between treatment and mortality.

Methods: A prospective cohort of children with presumptive TB who underwent clinical assessment, chest radiograph, tuberculin skin test and sputum bacterial tests for TB was followed up for 3 months.

Prospective cohort study of the feasibility and yield of household child tuberculosis contact screening in Uganda.

Setting: Screening and isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) of child contacts of tuberculosis (TB) patients is poorly implemented in resource-limited countries, in part due to difficulties in TB diagnosis in children.

Objective: To assess the feasibility and yield of hospital-based screening and IPT in Uganda, and to evaluate the utility of symptom-based screening.

Design: Household child (age <5 years) contacts of adults with pulmonary TB were assessed for TB or latent tuberculous infection (LTBI).

Xpert(®) MTB/RIF for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from frozen string and induced sputum sediments.

Setting: Although it is now widely used for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis, Xpert(®) MTB/RIF availability remains inadequate in low-resource settings. Moreover, its accuracy in testing stored samples from non-expectorating patients has not been evaluated.

Objective: To assess the performance of Xpert in frozen samples of induced sputum (IS) and sputum from string test (ST) from non-expectorating individuals with presumed TB.