Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of asymptomatic children with “culture-confirmed” drug-resistant tuberculosis in Durban, South Africa
| Characteristic | Number (%) N=43 |
|---|---|
| Referred from primary clinic | 5 (12) |
| Referred from district hospital | 38 (88) |
| Female | 17 (40) |
| Median age; years (IQR) | 3 (1.5 - 6.5) |
| Children ≤ 1 year. | 4 (16) |
| Weight <3rd percentile for age | 9 (21) |
| Days from DR-TB diagnosis to KDH examination; median (IQR) | 80 (60-117) |
| TB-related findings | |
| Signs or symptoms suggestive of TB | 0 |
| Abnormal chest radiograph | 0 |
| Previous TB treatment* | 18 (42) |
| Presently on TB treatment | 15 (35) |
| Previous TB treatment and presently on TB treatment | 8 (19) |
| Reported contact with infectious MDR-TB source case | 3 (7) |
| Respiratory specimen M. tuberculosis positive | 42 (98) |
| Extrapulmonary specimen (FNAB) M. tuberculosis positive | 1 (2) |
| HIV status | |
| HIV unknown | 2 (5) |
| HIV-infected | 7/41 (17) |
| On antiretroviral therapy | 4/7 (57) |
| Drug-resistance profile | |
| Mono-resistant | 9 (21) |
| Isoniazid mono-resistant | 2 (5) |
| Rifampicin mono-resistant | 7 (16) |
| MDR | 29 (68) |
| Pre-XDR | 1 (2) |
| XDR | 4 (9) |
IQR - Interquartile range; TB - tuberculosis; HIV - human immunodeficiency virus; KDH: King Dinuzulu Hospital (specialist TB hospital); FNAB: Fine needle aspiration biopsy; MDR: Multi-drug resistance; resistance to isoniazid and rifampicin; Pre-XDR-TB: MDR-TB with resistance to either a fluoroquinolone or an aminoglycoside, but not both; XDR-TB: MDR-TB with resistance to both a fluoroquinolone and an aminoglycoside.
*
Previous TB treatment - refers to any TB episode for which the child received treatment during the course of their life (excluding the current episode)