Table 1. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the study population.
| Characteristics | Total | Unlikely TB | Unconfirmed TB | Confirmed TB | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (N = 222) | (n = 96) | (n = 93) | (n = 33) | p-value | |
| Demographics and anthropometric parameters | |||||
| Age (years), median (IQR) | 5.8 (2.4, 10.7) | 5.5 (2.7, 10.7) | 4.9 (1.8, 10.3) | 9.8 (2.3, 13.4) | 0.20 |
| Age (years) | 0.36 | ||||
| 0–5 | 105 (47.3) | 46 (47.9) | 47 (50.5) | 12 (36.4) | |
| 6–10 | 48 (21.6) | 22 (22.9) | 20 (21.5) | 6 (18.2) | |
| 11–15 | 62 (27.9) | 27 (28.1) | 22 (23.7) | 13 (39.4) | |
| 16–17 | 7 (3.2) | 1 (1.0) | 4 (4.3) | 2 (6.1) | |
| Male gender | 134 (60.4) | 59 (61.5) | 58 (62.4) | 17 (51.5) | 0.53 |
| BCG vaccination scar | 218 (99.1) | 94 (98.9) | 91 (98.9) | 33 (100.0) | 0.84 |
| Height (cm) | 113.0 (85.0, 140.0) | 112.0 (90.0, 138.0) | 110.0 (80.0, 138.0) | 130.0 (90.0, 150.0) | 0.16 |
| Weight (kg) | 18.0 (11.0, 31.0) | 18.0 (12.0, 30.0) | 17.5 (10.0, 29.5) | 23.0 (11.0, 36.0) | 0.52 |
| BMI (raw) | 15.6 (13.7, 18.1) | 16.0 (13.8, 18.2) | 16.0 (14.2, 18.2) | 15.0 (13.0, 16.6) | 0.15 |
| BMI z-score for sex and age, median (IQR) | -0.6 (-2.0, 0.8) | -0.4 (-1.8, 1.0) | -0.4 (-2.0, 0.6) | -1.7 (-2.6, -0.4) | 0.01 |
| BMI z-score ≤-2 | 55 (25.5) | 19 (20.2) | 23 (25.8) | 13 (39.4) | 0.09 |
| Personal medical history | |||||
| History of TB | 10 (4.5) | 4 (4.2) | 4 (4.3) | 2 (6.1) | 0.82 |
| Clinical and chest radiography characteristics | |||||
| At least one clinical sign or symptom consistent with TB | 175 (78.8) | 63 (65.6) | 88 (94.6) | 24 (72.7) | <0.001 |
| Fever | 9 (4.1) | 2 (2.1) | 6 (6.5) | 1 (3.0) | 0.30 |
| Failure to thrive | 25 (20.3) | 6 (10.9) | 12 (25.0) | 7 (35.0) | 0.04 |
| Cough | 156 (70.3) | 56 (58.3) | 81 (87.1) | 19 (57.6) | <0.001 |
| Dyspnea | 34 (15.3) | 9 (9.4) | 19 (20.4) | 6 (18.2) | 0.09 |
| Night sweat | 8 (3.6) | 4 (4.2) | 2 (2.2) | 2 (6.1) | 0.44 |
| Chest pain | 25 (11.3) | 7 (7.3) | 15 (16.1) | 3 (9.1) | 0.15 |
| Hemoptysis | 7 (3.2) | 4 (4.2) | 3 (3.2) | 0 (0.0) | 0.68 |
| Neck pain or stiffness | 14 (6.3) | 8 (8.3) | 5 (5.4) | 1 (3.0) | 0.60 |
| Headache | 1 (0.5) | 1 (1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1.00 |
| TB-CXR | <0.001 | ||||
| No | 84 (37.8) | 72 (75.0) | 4 (4.3) | 8 (24.2) | |
| Yes | 111 (50.0) | 6 (6.3) | 87 (93.5) | 18 (54.5) | |
| Not done | 27 (12.2) | 18 (18.8) | 2 (2.2) | 7 (21.2) | |
| Length of stay (days), median (IQR) | 9.0 (6.0, 13.0) | 7.0 (4.0, 10.0) | 9.0 (7.0, 13.0) | 14.0 (7.0, 17.0) | <0.001 |
| Laboratory parameters | |||||
| HIV result | 0.01 | ||||
| Negative | 61 (27.5) | 25 (26.0) | 20 (21.5) | 16 (48.5) | |
| Positive | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Unknown/Not done | 161 (72.5) | 71 (74.0) | 73 (78.5) | 17 (51.5) | |
| QFT-Plus result | <0.001 | ||||
| Negative | 176 (79.3) | 87 (90.6) | 74 (79.6) | 15 (45.5) | |
| Positive | 45 (20.3) | 9 (9.4) | 18 (19.4) | 18 (54.5) | |
| Indeterminate | 1 (0.4) | 0 (0) | 1 (1.0) | 0 (0) | |
| Sputum AFB Smear | <0.001 | ||||
| Negative | 31 (14.0) | 10 (10.4) | 18 (19.4) | 3 (9.1) | |
| Positive | 6 (2.7) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.1) | 5 (15.2) | |
| Unknown/Not done | 185 (83.3) | 86 (89.6) | 74 (79.6) | 25 (75.8) | |
| Sputum culture | <0.001 | ||||
| Negative | 143 (64.4) | 66 (68.8) | 67 (72.0) | 10 (30.3) | |
| Positive | 18 (8.1) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 18 (54.5) | |
| Unknown/Not done | 61 (27.5) | 30 (31.3) | 26 (28.0) | 5 (15.2) | |
| GenXpert | <0.001 | ||||
| Negative | 162 (73.0) | 71 (74.0) | 72 (77.4) | 19 (57.6) | |
| Positive | 9 (4.1) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 9 (27.3) | |
| Unknown/Not done | 51 (23.0) | 25 (26.0) | 21 (22.6) | 5 (15.2) | |
| Biopsy done (both pulmonary and EPTB samples) | 55 (24.8) | 26 (27.1) | 11 (11.8) | 18 (54.5) | <0.001 |
| Biopsy results (both pulmonary and EPTB samples) | <0.001 | ||||
| Negative | 40 (18.0) | 26 (27.1) | 11 (11.8) | 3 (9.1) | |
| Positive | 15 (6.8) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 15 (45.5) | |
| Not done | 167 (75.2) | 70 (72.9) | 82 (88.2) | 15 (45.5) | |
Values are in frequency and % unless otherwise indicated; IQR, interquartile range; TB, tuberculosis; TB-CXR, chest radiograph abnormalities consistent to TB; BCG, Bacille Calmette-Guérin; BMI, body mass index; AFB, Acid-Fast Bacilli; EPTB, extra-pulmonary TB.