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OBJECTIVE:To assess the accuracy (sensitivity) of a clinical score for presumptive pulmonary tuberculosis cases during screening. METHODS:Descriptive cross-sectional study comprising 1,365 patients attending the department of lung diseases at a secondary care outpatient clinic in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil, during 2006 and 2007. All respondents answered a standardized questionnaire administered by the clinic's nursing staff. Information on age, weight and clinical symptoms were collected. The presumptive diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis was made by summing up the scores of the data collected. The diagnosis of active tuberculosis was based on bacteriological fi ndings and medical criteria. There were estimated sensitivity, specifi city, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for a set prevalence, and 95% confi dence intervals for different score cutoffs. The score performance was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS:For the diagnosis of tuberculosis, cough for more than one week and cough for more than three weeks showed a sensitivity of 88.2% (86.2, 90.2) and 61.1% (57.93, 64.3), specifi city 19.2% (16.6, 21.8) and 51.3% (48.1, 54.5), respectively. The clinical score of 8 had a sensitivity of 83.13% (77.8, 87.6), specifi city of 51.8% (48.5, 55.1), positive predictive value of 91.6% (90.0, 83.2) and negative predictive value of 32.9% (30.1, 35.7). CONCLUSIONS:Cough for more than three weeks showed low sensitivity and specifi city. A highly sensitive clinical score can be an alternative tool for screening pulmonary tuberculosis as it allows early care of suspected cases and standard nursing care approach.

BackgroundThe use of liquid medium (MGIT960) for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis was recommended by WHO in 2007. However, there has been no evaluation of its effectiveness on clinically important outcomes.Methods and FindingsA pragmatic trial was carried out in a tertiary hospital and a secondary health care unit in Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil. Participants were 16 years or older, suspected of having TB. They were excluded if only cerebral spinal fluid or blood specimens were available for analysis. MGIT960 technique was compared with the Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) method for laboratory diagnosis of active TB. Primary outcome was the proportion of patients who had their initial medical management changed within 2 months after randomisation. Secondary outcomes were: mean time for changing the procedure, patient satisfaction with the overall treatment and adverse events. Data were analysed by intention-to-treat. Between April 2008 and September 2011, 693 patients were enrolled (348 to MGIT, 345 to LJ). Smear and culture results were positive for 10% and 15.7% of participants, respectively. Patients in the MGIT arm had their initial medical management changed more frequently than those in the LJ group (10.1% MGIT vs 3.8% LJ, RR 2.67 95% CI 1.44–.96, p = 0.002, NNT 16, 95% CI 10–39). Mean time for changing the initial procedure was greater in LJ group at both sites: 20.0 and 29.6 days in MGIT group and 52.2 and 64.3 in LJ group (MD 33.5, 95% CI 30.6–36.4, p = 0.0001). No other important differences were observed.ConclusionsThis study suggests that opting for the MGIT960 system for TB diagnosis provides a promising case management model for improving the quality of care and control of TB.Trial RegistrationControlled-Trials.com ISRCTN79888843

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Introduction: The molecular test Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) has been recommended for use in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB); however, data on the cost of incorporating it under routine conditions in high-burden countries are scarce. The clinical impact and costs incurred in adopting the Xpert test in routine PTB diagnosis was evaluated in a prospective study conducted from November 2012 to November of 2013, in the City of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Methods: The diagnostic and therapeutic cascade for TB treatment was evaluated using Xpert in the first stage (S1), and sputum smear microscopy (SSM) in the second stage (S2). The mean costs associated with each diagnostic test were calculated including equipment, human resources, supplies, and infrastructure. Results: We included 232 subjects with probable TB (S1 = 87; S2 = 145). The sensitivities of Xpert and SSM were 91.7% (22/24) and 79.1% (34/43), respectively. The median time between triage and TB treatment initiation in S1 (n = 24) was 14.5 days (IQR 8-28.0) and in S2 (n = 43) it was 8 days [interquartile range (IQR) 6-12.0]. The estimated mean costs per examination in S1 and S2 were US$24.61 and US$6.98, respectively. Conclusions: Compared with SSM, Xpert test showed a greater sensitivity, but it also had a time delay with respect to treatment initiation and a higher mean cost per examination.