Open AccessComparative yield of different active TB case finding interventions in a large urban TB project in central Uganda: a descriptive study
Author(s) -
Andrew Kazibwe,
Fred Twinomugisha,
Joseph Musaazi,
Florence Nakaggwa,
Disan Lukanga,
Phillip Aleu,
Timothy Kiyemba,
Abel Nkolo,
Nicholas Sebuliba Kirirabwa,
Debora B. Freitas Lopez,
Estella Birabwa,
Seyoum Dejene,
Stella ZaweddeMuyanja
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
african health sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.391
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1729-0503
pISSN - 1680-6905
DOI - 10.4314/ahs.v21i3.3
Subject(s) - medicine , psychological intervention , case finding , tuberculosis , pediatrics , rapid diagnostic test , diagnostic test , pathology , psychiatry
Systematic screening for TB among patients presenting to care and among high risk populations is recom- mended to improve TB case finding. We aimed to describe the comparative yield of three TB screening approaches imple- mented by a large urban TB project in central Uganda.
Methods: We abstracted data on the screening cascade from 65 health facilities and their surrounding communities (num- bers screened, with presumptive TB, receiving a diagnostic test and diagnosed with TB) from the different clinic and com- munity TB registers.
Results: From January 2018 to December 2019, 93,378 (24%) of all patients screened at health facilities had presumptive TB; 77,381 (82.9%) received a diagnostic test and 14,305 (18.5%) were diagnosed with TB. The screening yield (the number of patients diagnosed with TB out of all patients screened) was 0.3% and was three times higher among men than women (0.6% vs 0.2% p<0.01). During targeted community screening interventions, 9874 (21.1%) of all patients screened had presumptive TB; 7034 (71.2%) of these received a diagnostic test and 1699 (24.2%) were diagnosed with TB. The screening yield was higher among men, (3.7% vs 3.3% p<0.01) and highest among children 0-14 (4.8% vs 3.2% p<0.01).
Conclusion: Targeted community TB screening interventions improve access to TB diagnosis for men and children 0-14 years.
Keywords: Tuberculosis; screening; community; Uganda.