Publications by authors named "V S Salhotra"
Article Synopsis
- A considerable number of pediatric tuberculosis (TB) cases go unreported due to difficulty in diagnosis, with the experiences of affected children and their families remaining largely overlooked.
- The study, conducted in four Indian cities, involved interviews with families of 100 children diagnosed with TB, focusing on their experiences during the diagnosis and treatment process.
- Results indicated significant delays in patient diagnosis, with families facing numerous challenges, including stigma and disruption to daily life, highlighting the urgent need for more effective TB care pathways for children.
Background: India accounts for a quarter of the world's multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB); with less than 50% having successful treatment outcomes. Bedaquiline (BDQ) was approved for use under conditional access program in India in 2015.
Objective: We evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of a BDQ containing regimen used under field settings in India.
Background: Outreach and promotion programs are essential to ensuring uptake of new public health interventions and guidelines. We assessed the costs and operation dynamics of outreach and promotion efforts for up front Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) testing for pediatric presumptive tuberculosis (TB) patients in four major Indian cities.
Methods: Xpert test costs were assessed as weighted average per-test costs based on the daily workload dynamics matched by test volume specific Xpert unit cost at each study site.
Background: Diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in infants is challenging due to non-specific clinical presentations of the disease in this age-group and low sensitivity of widely available TB diagnostic tools, which in turn delays prompt access to TB treatment. Upfront access to Xpert/MTB RIF (Xpert) testing, a highly sensitive and specific rapid diagnostic tool, could potentially address some of these challenges. Under the current project, we assessed the utility and feasibility of applying upfront Xpert for diagnosis of tuberculosis in infants, including for testing of non-sputum specimens.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: 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.
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