Publications by authors named "S Musau"
For microbiological confirmation of pediatric pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), gastric aspirates (GA) are often operationally unfeasible without hospitalization, and the encapsulated orogastric string test is not easily swallowed in young children. The Combined-NasoGastric-Tube-and-String-Test (CNGTST) enables dual collection of GA and string specimens. In a prospective cohort study in Kenya, we examined its feasibility in children under five with presumptive PTB and compared the bacteriological yield of string to GA.
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- Diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) in children under 5 is difficult due to low bacterial levels and overlapping symptoms with other diseases, leading researchers to use machine learning for better prediction models.
- Eleven machine learning models were tested on data from young children in Kenya to improve the accuracy of TB microbial confirmation using easily obtainable clinical, demographic, and radiologic factors.
- The study found that models were effective with AUROC scores between 0.83 and 0.90, and certain factors like household TB contact and chest x-ray results significantly influenced prediction outcomes, potentially aiding clinical decisions and research on TB in young children.
Background: Despite Kenya's roll-out of the Strengthening Laboratory Management Towards Accreditation programme in 2010, most laboratories had not made significant or tangible improvements towards accreditation by 2016. In April 2016, the University of Maryland, Baltimore enrolled 27 facilities in the standard Strengthening Laboratory Management Towards Accreditation programme.
Objective: This study aimed to describe and evaluate the implementation of an intensified mentorship strategy on laboratory accreditation.
Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of illness and death in children globally. Improved bacteriologic and clinical diagnostic approaches in children are urgently needed.
Methods: In a prospective cohort study, a consecutive series of young (<5 years) children presenting with symptoms suggestive of TB and parenchymal abnormality on chest radiograph in inpatient and outpatient settings in Kisumu County, Kenya from October 2013 to August 2015 were evaluated at baseline and over 6 months.
Importance: Criterion-standard specimens for tuberculosis diagnosis in young children, gastric aspirate (GA) and induced sputum, are invasive and rarely collected in resource-limited settings. A far less invasive approach to tuberculosis diagnostic testing in children younger than 5 years as sensitive as current reference standards is important to identify.
Objective: To characterize the sensitivity of preferably minimally invasive specimen and assay combinations relative to maximum observed yield from all specimens and assays combined.