Drug resistance was extensive and care was complex; nevertheless, high rates of treatment completion were achieved albeit at considerable cost.

This is the first prospective multisite study to examine predictors of LTBI treatment acceptance in general clinic populations. Greater efforts should be made to increase acceptance among health care workers, those previously recommended for treatment and those who expect problems with LTBI medicines. Ensuring convenient clinic schedules and TB education to increase knowledge could be important for ensuring acceptance.

OBJECTIVES:The tuberculin skin test (TST) has been preferred for screening young children for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) because of concerns that interferon-g release assays (IGRAs) may be less sensitive in this high-risk population. In this study, we compared the predictive value of IGRAs to the TST for progression to tuberculosis disease in children, including those ,5 years old.METHODS: Children ,15 years old at risk for LTBI or progression to disease were tested with TST, QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-GIT), and T-SPOT.TB test (T-SPOT) and followed actively for 2 years, then with registry matches, to identify incident disease.RESULTS: Of 3593 children enrolled September 2012 to April 2016, 92% were born outside the United States; 25% were ,5 years old. Four children developed tuberculosis over a median 4.3 years of follow-up. Sensitivities for progression to disease for TST and IGRAs were low (50%-75%), with wide confidence intervals (CIs).

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SUMMARY OBJECTIVE A population-based study of 135 multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during 2005–2007 found 73% were hospitalized. We analyzed factors associated with hospitalization. METHODS We assessed statistically significant multivariable associations with US in-patient TB diagnosis, frequency of hospitalization, length of hospital stay, and in-patient direct costs to the health care system. RESULTS Of 98 hospitalized patients, 83 (85%) were foreign-born. Blacks, diabetics, or smokers were more likely, and patients with disseminated disease less likely, to receive their TB diagnosis while hospitalized. Patients aged ⩾65 years, those with the acquired immune-deficiency syndrome (AIDS), or with private insurance, were hospitalized more frequently. Excluding deaths, length of stay was greater for patients aged ⩾65 years, those with extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB), those residing in Texas, those with AIDS, those who were unemployed, or those who had TB resistant to all first-line medications vs. others. Average hospitalization cost per XDR-TB patient (US$285 000) was 3.5 times that per MDR-TB patient (US$81 000), in 2010 dollars. Hospitalization episode costs for MDR-TB rank third highest and those for XDR-TB highest among the principal diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS Hospitalization was common and remains a critical care component for patients who were older, had comorbidities, or required complex management due to XDR-TB. MDR-TB in-patient costs are among the highest for any disease.