Performance of symptom-based tuberculosis screening among people living with HIV: Not as great as hoped

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to determine the diagnostic performance of the symptom-based tuberculosis (TB) screening questionnaire recommended by WHO for people living with HIV (PLWH) in resource-limited settings, among adults off and on antiretroviral therapy (ART). DESIGN...

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Main Authors: Ahmad Khan, F., Verkuijl, S., Parrish, A., Chikwava, Fadzai, Ntumy, R., El-Sadr, W., Howard, A.A.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/86651
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author Ahmad Khan, F.
Verkuijl, S.
Parrish, A.
Chikwava, Fadzai
Ntumy, R.
El-Sadr, W.
Howard, A.A.
author_facet Ahmad Khan, F.
Verkuijl, S.
Parrish, A.
Chikwava, Fadzai
Ntumy, R.
El-Sadr, W.
Howard, A.A.
author_sort Ahmad Khan, F.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to determine the diagnostic performance of the symptom-based tuberculosis (TB) screening questionnaire recommended by WHO for people living with HIV (PLWH) in resource-limited settings, among adults off and on antiretroviral therapy (ART). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study at two HIV clinics in South Africa. METHODS: A total of 825 PLWH completed the screening questionnaire and underwent investigations [chest radiography (CXR) and microbiologic testing of sputa]. A positive screen was defined as presence of cough, fever, night sweats, or weight loss. Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) was defined as sputum smear positive for acid-fast bacilli or growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. RESULTS: Of 737 participants with at least one diagnostic sputum specimen, PTB was diagnosed in 31 of 522 (5.9%) on ART, and 34 of 215 (15.8%) not on ART. The questionnaire missed 15 of 31 (48.4%) PTB cases on ART, and three of 34 (8.8%) not on ART. Among participants on ART, post-test probability of PTB diagnosis (95% confidence interval) was 6.8% (4.0-10.9%) if screening positive, and 5.2% (2.9-8.4%) if screening negative, whereas among participants not on ART, post-test probabilities were 20.3% (14.2-27.5%) and 4.8% (1.0-13.5%), respectively. Among participants diagnosed with PTB, those on ART were significantly less likely to screen positive (adjusted odds ratio 0.04, 95% confidence interval: 0.01-0.39). In both groups (ART and no ART), screening was more sensitive when CXR was incorporated. CONCLUSION:: For case detection and exclusion of PTB, the WHO-recommended questionnaire performed adequately among PLWH not on ART, and poorly among those on ART. Further research is needed to identify feasible and effective TB screening strategies for PLWH in resource-limited settings. © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-866512021-12-10T03:34:24Z Performance of symptom-based tuberculosis screening among people living with HIV: Not as great as hoped Ahmad Khan, F. Verkuijl, S. Parrish, A. Chikwava, Fadzai Ntumy, R. El-Sadr, W. Howard, A.A. Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Immunology Infectious Diseases Virology antiretroviral therapy HIV resource-limited settings screening tuberculosis ISONIAZID PREVENTIVE THERAPY ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY SOUTH-AFRICA INFECTED PERSONS TRANSMISSION IMPLEMENTATION BARRIERS CLINICS TRIAL RISK OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to determine the diagnostic performance of the symptom-based tuberculosis (TB) screening questionnaire recommended by WHO for people living with HIV (PLWH) in resource-limited settings, among adults off and on antiretroviral therapy (ART). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study at two HIV clinics in South Africa. METHODS: A total of 825 PLWH completed the screening questionnaire and underwent investigations [chest radiography (CXR) and microbiologic testing of sputa]. A positive screen was defined as presence of cough, fever, night sweats, or weight loss. Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) was defined as sputum smear positive for acid-fast bacilli or growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. RESULTS: Of 737 participants with at least one diagnostic sputum specimen, PTB was diagnosed in 31 of 522 (5.9%) on ART, and 34 of 215 (15.8%) not on ART. The questionnaire missed 15 of 31 (48.4%) PTB cases on ART, and three of 34 (8.8%) not on ART. Among participants on ART, post-test probability of PTB diagnosis (95% confidence interval) was 6.8% (4.0-10.9%) if screening positive, and 5.2% (2.9-8.4%) if screening negative, whereas among participants not on ART, post-test probabilities were 20.3% (14.2-27.5%) and 4.8% (1.0-13.5%), respectively. Among participants diagnosed with PTB, those on ART were significantly less likely to screen positive (adjusted odds ratio 0.04, 95% confidence interval: 0.01-0.39). In both groups (ART and no ART), screening was more sensitive when CXR was incorporated. CONCLUSION:: For case detection and exclusion of PTB, the WHO-recommended questionnaire performed adequately among PLWH not on ART, and poorly among those on ART. Further research is needed to identify feasible and effective TB screening strategies for PLWH in resource-limited settings. © 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 2014 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/86651 10.1097/QAD.0000000000000278 English LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS fulltext
spellingShingle Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Immunology
Infectious Diseases
Virology
antiretroviral therapy
HIV
resource-limited settings
screening
tuberculosis
ISONIAZID PREVENTIVE THERAPY
ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY
SOUTH-AFRICA
INFECTED PERSONS
TRANSMISSION
IMPLEMENTATION
BARRIERS
CLINICS
TRIAL
RISK
Ahmad Khan, F.
Verkuijl, S.
Parrish, A.
Chikwava, Fadzai
Ntumy, R.
El-Sadr, W.
Howard, A.A.
Performance of symptom-based tuberculosis screening among people living with HIV: Not as great as hoped
title Performance of symptom-based tuberculosis screening among people living with HIV: Not as great as hoped
title_full Performance of symptom-based tuberculosis screening among people living with HIV: Not as great as hoped
title_fullStr Performance of symptom-based tuberculosis screening among people living with HIV: Not as great as hoped
title_full_unstemmed Performance of symptom-based tuberculosis screening among people living with HIV: Not as great as hoped
title_short Performance of symptom-based tuberculosis screening among people living with HIV: Not as great as hoped
title_sort performance of symptom-based tuberculosis screening among people living with hiv: not as great as hoped
topic Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Immunology
Infectious Diseases
Virology
antiretroviral therapy
HIV
resource-limited settings
screening
tuberculosis
ISONIAZID PREVENTIVE THERAPY
ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY
SOUTH-AFRICA
INFECTED PERSONS
TRANSMISSION
IMPLEMENTATION
BARRIERS
CLINICS
TRIAL
RISK
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/86651