Table 1.
Demographic and clinical variables associated with positive stool culture compared to other TB in sites other than stool*
| Variable | Positive stool culture (n = 101) n (%) |
TB in sites other than stool (n = 127) n (%) |
P value† |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years, median [IQR] | 29 [26–37] | 32 [28–40] | 0.04‡ |
| Male sex | 73 (72) | 78 (61) | 0.08 |
| Country of evaluation | |||
| Cambodia | 40 (40) | 58 (46) | |
| Thailand | 10 (10) | 22 (17) | |
| Viet Nam | 51 (51) | 47 (37) | 0.08 |
| Persons hospitalised | 9 (9) | 5 (4) | 0.12 |
| Symptoms | |||
| Cough | 74 (73) | 94 (74) | 0.90 |
| Fever | 74 (73) | 87 (69) | 0.43 |
| Diarrhoea | 32 (32) | 44 (35) | 0.64 |
| Nausea or vomiting | 32 (32) | 50 (39) | 0.23 |
| Abdominal pain | 44 (43) | 53 (42) | 0.78 |
| Night sweats | 42 (41) | 60 (47) | 0.39 |
| Difficulty breathing | 61 (60) | 61 (48) | 0.06 |
| Chest pain | 49 (49) | 64 (50) | 0.78 |
| Weight loss | 79 (78) | 86 (68) | 0.08 |
| Fatigue | 78 (77) | 94 (74) | 0.58 |
| Chills | 48 (47) | 63 (50) | 0.75 |
| BMI, kg/m2, median [IQR] | 18 [17–20] | 19 [17–21] | 0.05 |
| Enlarged lymph nodes | 33 (33) (n =100) | 35 (28) | 0.37 |
| Performance status: Karnofsky score ≥90§ | 49 (49) | 76 (60) | 0.09 |
| Chest radiograph with any abnormality | 71 (72) (n = 99) | 73 (61) (n = 120) | 0.09 |
| Cavity | 13 (13) | 11 (9) | 0.30 |
| Pulmonary TB | 91 (90) | 115 (91) | 0.91 |
| Sputum bacillary burden | (n = 91) | (n = 115) | |
| Minimal (smear-negative) | 31 (34) | 81 (70) | |
| Moderate (1+) | 30 (33) | 23 (20) | |
| Most (2–3+) | 30 (33) | 11 (10) | <0.001‡ |
| Extra-pulmonary TB | 42 (42) | 33 (27) (n = 122) | 0.02‡ |
| CD4 count, cells/μl, median [IQR] | 75 [20–213] | 139 [47–281] | 0.004‡ |
*
If n is not specified for the row, column totals apply.
†
Pearson’s χ2 or Wilcoxon rank sum.
‡
P < 0.05.
§
Karnofsky score measures the extent of impairment (performance status) secondary to illness.
TB = tuberculosis; IQR = interquartile range; BMI = body mass index.