A comparison of tools used for tuberculosis diagnosis in resource-limited settings: a case study at Mubende referral hospital, Uganda.

<h4>Background</h4>This study compared TB diagnostic tools and estimated levels of misdiagnosis in a resource-limited setting. Furthermore, we estimated the diagnostic utility of three-TB-associated predictors in an algorithm with and without Direct Ziehl-Neelsen (DZM).<h4>Material...

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Main Authors: Adrian Muwonge, Sydney Malama, Barend M de C Bronsvoort, Demelash Biffa, Willy Ssengooba, Eystein Skjerve
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2014-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0100720
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author Adrian Muwonge
Sydney Malama
Barend M de C Bronsvoort
Demelash Biffa
Willy Ssengooba
Eystein Skjerve
author_facet Adrian Muwonge
Sydney Malama
Barend M de C Bronsvoort
Demelash Biffa
Willy Ssengooba
Eystein Skjerve
author_sort Adrian Muwonge
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Background</h4>This study compared TB diagnostic tools and estimated levels of misdiagnosis in a resource-limited setting. Furthermore, we estimated the diagnostic utility of three-TB-associated predictors in an algorithm with and without Direct Ziehl-Neelsen (DZM).<h4>Materials and methods</h4>Data was obtained from a cross-sectional study in 2011 conducted at Mubende regional referral hospital in Uganda. An individual was included if they presented with a two weeks persistent cough and or lymphadenitis/abscess. 344 samples were analyzed on DZM in Mubende and compared to duplicates analyzed on direct fluorescent microscopy (DFM), growth on solid and liquid media at Makerere University. Clinical variables from a questionnaire and DZM were used to predict TB status in multivariable logistic and Cox proportional hazard models, while optimization and visualization was done with receiver operating characteristics curve and algorithm-charts in Stata, R and Lucid-Charts respectively.<h4>Results</h4>DZM had a sensitivity and specificity of 36.4% (95% CI = 24.9-49.1) and 97.1%(95% CI = 94.4-98.7) compared to DFM which had a sensitivity and specificity of 80.3%(95% CI = 68.7-89.1) and 97.1%(95% CI = 94.4-98.7) respectively. DZM false negative results were associated with patient's HIV status, tobacco smoking and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. One of the false negative cases was infected with multi drug resistant TB (MDR). The three-predictor screening algorithm with and without DZM classified 50% and 33% of the true cases respectively, while the adjusted algorithm with DZM classified 78% of the true cases.<h4>Conclusion</h4>The study supports the concern that using DZM alone risks missing majority of TB cases, in this case we found nearly 60%, of who one was an MDR case. Although adopting DFM would reduce this proportion to 19%, the use of a three-predictor screening algorithm together with DZM was almost as good as DFM alone. It's utility is whoever subject to HIV screening all TB suspects.
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spelling doaj-art-318fdf579f3c4d009f8fc22d5d783a152025-08-20T02:22:49ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032014-01-0196e10072010.1371/journal.pone.0100720A comparison of tools used for tuberculosis diagnosis in resource-limited settings: a case study at Mubende referral hospital, Uganda.Adrian MuwongeSydney MalamaBarend M de C BronsvoortDemelash BiffaWilly SsengoobaEystein Skjerve<h4>Background</h4>This study compared TB diagnostic tools and estimated levels of misdiagnosis in a resource-limited setting. Furthermore, we estimated the diagnostic utility of three-TB-associated predictors in an algorithm with and without Direct Ziehl-Neelsen (DZM).<h4>Materials and methods</h4>Data was obtained from a cross-sectional study in 2011 conducted at Mubende regional referral hospital in Uganda. An individual was included if they presented with a two weeks persistent cough and or lymphadenitis/abscess. 344 samples were analyzed on DZM in Mubende and compared to duplicates analyzed on direct fluorescent microscopy (DFM), growth on solid and liquid media at Makerere University. Clinical variables from a questionnaire and DZM were used to predict TB status in multivariable logistic and Cox proportional hazard models, while optimization and visualization was done with receiver operating characteristics curve and algorithm-charts in Stata, R and Lucid-Charts respectively.<h4>Results</h4>DZM had a sensitivity and specificity of 36.4% (95% CI = 24.9-49.1) and 97.1%(95% CI = 94.4-98.7) compared to DFM which had a sensitivity and specificity of 80.3%(95% CI = 68.7-89.1) and 97.1%(95% CI = 94.4-98.7) respectively. DZM false negative results were associated with patient's HIV status, tobacco smoking and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. One of the false negative cases was infected with multi drug resistant TB (MDR). The three-predictor screening algorithm with and without DZM classified 50% and 33% of the true cases respectively, while the adjusted algorithm with DZM classified 78% of the true cases.<h4>Conclusion</h4>The study supports the concern that using DZM alone risks missing majority of TB cases, in this case we found nearly 60%, of who one was an MDR case. Although adopting DFM would reduce this proportion to 19%, the use of a three-predictor screening algorithm together with DZM was almost as good as DFM alone. It's utility is whoever subject to HIV screening all TB suspects.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0100720
spellingShingle Adrian Muwonge
Sydney Malama
Barend M de C Bronsvoort
Demelash Biffa
Willy Ssengooba
Eystein Skjerve
A comparison of tools used for tuberculosis diagnosis in resource-limited settings: a case study at Mubende referral hospital, Uganda.
PLoS ONE
title A comparison of tools used for tuberculosis diagnosis in resource-limited settings: a case study at Mubende referral hospital, Uganda.
title_full A comparison of tools used for tuberculosis diagnosis in resource-limited settings: a case study at Mubende referral hospital, Uganda.
title_fullStr A comparison of tools used for tuberculosis diagnosis in resource-limited settings: a case study at Mubende referral hospital, Uganda.
title_full_unstemmed A comparison of tools used for tuberculosis diagnosis in resource-limited settings: a case study at Mubende referral hospital, Uganda.
title_short A comparison of tools used for tuberculosis diagnosis in resource-limited settings: a case study at Mubende referral hospital, Uganda.
title_sort comparison of tools used for tuberculosis diagnosis in resource limited settings a case study at mubende referral hospital uganda
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0100720
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