To evaluate the clinical characteristics, diagnostic approach, and treatment outcomes of tuberculosis (TB) in children living in a high-burden metropolitan area. Methods: This was a retrospective study, based on a medical chart review, involving children under 15 years old treated for TB between 2007 and 2016, in four primary health units (PHU) and three reference centers (RC) in five cities of Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area. Factors associated with TB treatment setting, microbiological diagnosis, and treatment outcomes were evaluated. Results: A total of 544 children were enrolled; 71% were treated in PHU, 36% were under 5 years old, and 72% had pulmonary TB (PTB). The HIV prevalence was 10% (31/322). Fifty-three percent had at least one microbiological test for TB, 68% of them (196/287) had TB confirmed. Among 222 children with previous TB contact, information on LTBI was available for 78 (35%), and only 17% (13/78) were treated. Extrapulmonary TB (56% vs 32%), microbiologically confirmed TB (77% vs 60%), and HIV positivity (18.5% vs 4.0%) were significantly more frequent in RC. Treatment in RC (odds ratio (OR) 3.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.74-5.44) and PTB (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.34-4.56) were independently associated with a microbiological diagnosis of TB. The treatment success rate was 85%. In the logistic regression analysis, HIV-infected children had a 2.5-fold higher risk of an unfavorable outcome (OR 2.53, 95% CI 1.0-6.38; p = 0.05). Conclusions: Opportunities for TB prevention and early TB treatment are missed due to suboptimal close contact screening. Microbiological diagnosis of TB and drug susceptibility testing in children should be made available through more sensitive and accessible tests.
Introduction: The diagnostic accuracy of Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) in pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in children is lower than in adults. In Brazil, the diagnosis of PTB is based on a diagnostic score system (DSS). This study aims to study the role of Xpert in children and adolescents with PTB symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 3 referral centers to TB. Children and adolescents (0-19 years old) whose respiratory samples were submitted to Xpert were included. Statistical analysis (bivariate and logistic regression) to assess the simultaneous influence of TB-related variables on the occurrence of Xpert detectable in TB cases was done. To evaluate the agreement or disagreement between Xpert results with acid-fast bacillus (AFB) and cultures, κ method was used (significancy level of 5%). Results: Eighty-eight patients were included in the study and PTB occurred in 43 patients (49%) and Xpert was detectable in 21 patients (24%). Adolescents and positive culture results were independent predictive variables of Xpert positivity. DSS sensitivity compared with the final diagnosis of TB was 100% (95% CI, 88.1-100%), specificity was 97.2% (95% CI, 85.5-99.9%). The accuracy of the method was 98.5% (95% CI, 91.7-99.9%). Conclusions: Xpert contributed to diagnosis in 9% of patients with AFB and in culture negative cases. DSS indicated relevance for this diagnostic approach of intrathoracic TB (ITB) in reference centers for presenting data both with high sensitivity and specificity.
Introduction: Gene-Xpert MTB RIF (Xpert) is based on nucleic acid amplification by real-time polymerase chain reaction, which allows for the identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampin resistance. We describe the use of Xpert for extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) in children and adolescents. Methods: A case series of two reference centers in Rio de Janeiro from 2014-2019. Results: The final diagnosis of EPTB was established in 11/36 (31%) patients, with five cases detectable by Xpert. For lymph node evaluation (9/11), diagnosis by Xpert occurred in 5/9 patients, all with caseous aspects. Conclusions: Xpert can facilitate the rapid diagnosis of lymph node tuberculosis.
The authors discuss the challenging aspects of the diagnosis of tuberculosis in children and adolescents, since there is no gold standard for its diagnosis. The different clinical and radiological presentations and the low bacteriological positivity of tuberculosis in childhood are grounds for confrontation to the present. Immunological tests called interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs) failed to overcome the tuberculin skin test in practice. Advances with nucleic acid amplification tests, on the other hand, have contributed to the diagnosis of tuberculosis among adolescents. Standardized systems for diagnosis can be useful as tools for screening or for decision-making in childhood tuberculosis.
Clinical and radiological diagnosis in TB cases were valuable and it is important to consider the disease as an adverse event in patients with rheumatic diseases, regardless of the drugs in use.
Objective: To describe the clinical profile of children and adolescents hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). They were divided into two groups: those with and those without comorbidities. Methods: An observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study with prospective data collection, was carried out in a cohort of patients aged zero to 11, who were hospitalized with a clinical and radiological diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia, from January 2010 to January 2012. As an exploratory study, the two groups were compared through logistic regression for possible risk factors associated with community-acquired pneumonia. Relative risk (RR) was used with a 95% confidence interval (95%CI). The process of selection for independent variables was stepwise forward, with a significance level of 5%. Results: There were 121 cases of community-acquired pneumonia evaluated, and 47.9% had comorbidities. In the bivariate analysis, patients with comorbidities demonstrated higher chances for: age >60 months (p=0.005), malnutrition (p=0.002), previous use of antibiotics (p=0.008) and previous hospitalization for community-acquired pneumonia in the last 24 months (p=0.004). In the multivariate analysis, these variables were independent predictors of community-acquired pneumonia in patients with the comorbidities: age >60 months (p=0.002; RR=5.39; 95%CI 1.89-15.40); malnutrition (p=0.008; RR=1.75; 95%CI 1.75-44.60); previous use of antibiotics (p=0.0013; RR=3.03; 95%CI 1.27-7.20); and previous hospitalization for community-acquired pneumonia (p=0.035; RR=2.91; 95%CI 1.08-7.90). Conclusions: Most patients with community-acquired pneumonia and comorbidities were aged >60 months, were malnourished, had used antibiotics and had been hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia. Comorbidities were associated with a higher chance of malnutrition and hospitalizations for community-acquired pneumonia in an older age group, compared to children without comorbidities. Knowledge of this clinical profile may contribute to better assist pediatric patients with community-acquired pneumonia hospitalized in referral centers.
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