Tuberculosis in pregnancy

Chest X-ray predicts cases of pulmonary tuberculosis among women of reproductive age with acute respiratory symptoms: A multi-center cross-sectional study

“…Although we included few pregnant women in our study, a sputum sample was obtained from all and analyzed according to national guidelines. However, bacteriological TB diagnostic tests, particularly smear microscopy, are known to have low sensitivity in pregnant women [8] , [15] . There is also a recent study reporting reduced sensitivity of molecular diagnostic tests in pregnant women compared to confirmatory culture [14] .…”

“…As is well known, physicians hesitate to order CXR in pregnant women, and these patients are less likely to present with weight loss [7] . However, TB can present with acute respiratory symptoms during pregnancy and shielded CXR is an option to improve case detection [8] . A clinically diagnosed case of TB was also not documented among enrolled patients, possibly reflecting the ingrained thinking of health workers that associates TB with a cough lasting longer than 2 weeks.…”

“…Although most TB cases are still diagnosed in men [1] , reported cases in WRA are increasing in SSA [2] , [6] . Most available anti-TB regimens are safe and effective even during pregnancy, with a good compliance rate reported [7] , [8] , Yet TB patients are often diagnosed late in the disease course, with 60% of the estimated number of cases going undiagnosed or unreported in 2021 [1] , [9] . In TB-endemic countries, untreated TB remains a notorious cause of infertility and poor maternal and perinatal outcomes [5] , [8] , [10] , [11] .…”

Epidemiology: the current burden of tuberculosis and its determinants

“…TB during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes for both mother and child [14]. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to reducing TB-related maternal and neonatal mortality [15].…”