AI Article Synopsis
- A study compared the effectiveness of the QuantiFERON TB Gold-in-Tube (QFG-IT) test and the tuberculin skin test (TST) for diagnosing active tuberculosis (TB) in children in Taiwan.
- The QFG-IT test showed a sensitivity of 100%, significantly outperforming the TST, which had a sensitivity of only 62.5%.
- Despite being more expensive, QFG-IT proved valuable in accurately diagnosing TB, particularly in cases where TST might yield false positives due to BCG vaccination effects.
Article Abstract
Purpose: To compare the performance of a commercial interferon-gamma release assay, QuantiFERON TB Gold-in-Tube (QFG-IT) with the tuberculin skin test (TST) in Taiwanese children for the diagnosis of active tuberculosis (TB).
Methods: A retrospective chart analysis of pediatric patients (<18 years of age) who underwent QFG-IT tests and TST for the confirmation of active TB between January 2008 and June 2014.
Results: The sensitivity of QFG-IT was 100% [95% confidence interval (CI): 63.1-100], versus sensitivity of 62.5% for TST (95% CI 24.5-91.5). The positive predictive value of QFG-IT was 100 (95% CI: 89.7-100), while the negative predictive value for TST was 86.9% (95% CI: 67-96.3). Among three patients with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) osteitis, two patients with TST were positive, but all tested samples for QFG-IT were negative.
Conclusion: QFG-IT assay was more sensitive for the diagnosis of TB disease than TST in an intermediate burden population with universal neonatal BCG vaccination. The increased recognition of BCG induced osteitis in recent years has alerted physicians that BCG induced lesions should be suspected when TST is positive but QFG-IT is negative. Despite higher costs for QFG-IT than TST, they have additional value for the diagnosis of active TB and should be performed when a diagnosis of TB remains in doubt.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmii.2015.07.012 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Taiwanese fathers' experiences following the death of a child to cancer.
Death Stud
January 2025
School of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan.
This study descried the experiences of fathers who had lost a child to cancer. The participants were eight fathers whose children died following cancer treatment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and content analysis identified six major themes: (1) accompanying their child on the final journey home, (2) stabilizing family life, (3) coping with unbearable grief, 4) maintaining the memory and continuing the bond, (5) reflecting on the regrets and contradictions of the treatment process, (6) finding new meaning, and cherishing the present.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWord-of-mouth referrals between patients are a critical component of medical tourism for pediatric hematopoietic cell transplantation.
Medicine (Baltimore)
January 2025
Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
The increasing popularity of medical tourism has sparked interest from policymakers, researchers, and the media. Factors influencing medical tourism include service quality, availability, economics, and cultural differences. This study aims to analyze the key factors that influence destination selection for medical tourists.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJuxtaposition of bone age and sexual maturity rating of the Taiwanese population.
Biomedicine (Taipei)
December 2024
Department of Genetics, Endocrinology and Metabolism, China Medical University Children's Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Background: Bone age (BA) and sexual maturity rating (SMR) are crucial measures in assessing adolescent growth and development. However, studies specifically focusing on the association between BA and SMR in the Taiwanese adolescent population are limited. This study aims to utilize AI-assessed BA results to establish a relationship between BA and SMR in the Taiwanese adolescent population, particularly regarding the initiation of puberty.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExploring Attachment Differences Across the Contexts of Sports and Academics: A Qualitative Exploration of Child and Parent Experiences.
Behav Sci (Basel)
December 2024
Master Program of Child and Youth Welfare, Chinese Culture University, Taipei 11114, Taiwan.
This study aimed to explore the nature of contextual differences in child-parent attachment relationships and examine how these experiences relate to children's psychological outcomes. A theoretically informed qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 15 participants across four groups of Taiwanese youths and parents, representing different contextual attachment combinations. Data were analyzed using a hybrid thematic analysis approach, integrating both inductive and deductive methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!