Study	Reason for exclusion
Calvalcante 2010	The authors tested the effect of an 'enhanced DOTS' intervention, incorporating screening household contacts for active tuberculosis and for LTBI, compared to conventional DOTS using a matched pair cluster randomised trial. After 5 years the annual incidence of tuberculosis decreased by 10% in 'enhanced DOTS' communities compared to a 5% increase in control communities (P = 0.04). This study was excluded because the intervention included both active case finding and testing for, and treatment of, latent tuberculosis infection in contacts.Therefore, it was not possible to estimate the effect of active case finding alone on the study outcome.
Churchyard 2011	The study did not specifically examine contacts of known tuberculosis patients, and therefore does not meet our inclusion criteria. This study enrolled a population of gold miners, known to have a high prevalence of tuberculosis. The intervention was radiological screening, either three or five times over the two year follow‐up period.
Corbett 2010	The study did not specifically examine contacts of known tuberculosis patients, and therefore does not meet our inclusion criteria. Instead, it was a randomised controlled trial of a community‐based screening programme of symptomatic individuals. The participants were chosen based on their reported symptoms, not on their relationship to a known contact with tuberculosis.
Daitko 2009	A different intervention. This study involved health extension workers in tuberculosis case detection.
Fairall 2005	This study did not screen contacts of tuberculosis patients, but those attending primary care clinics.
Fairall 2010	This was not the primary study. See Fairall 2005.
Griffiths 2007	A different intervention, not involving tuberculosis contacts, but patients presenting to a primary care clinic.
Khan 2007	A different intervention, involving education about sputum collection and submission.
Lemos 2004	Cohort study.
Magkanas 2005	Cohort study examining prevalence of X‐ray abnormalities in a defined population.
Miller 2010	This study compares two active case finding interventions in the general community. This does not address specifically not of contacts of known tuberculosis patients.
Noertjojo 2002	A retrospective cohort study of household contacts of tuberculosis patients.
Sekandi 2009	No control group.
Shargie 2006	This study does not target contacts of tuberculosis patients.
Styblo 1984	Non‐randomized groups, and the study population is not contacts of tuberculosis patients.
Yimer 2009	A cross‐sectional study with no control group.
Zachariah 2003	Cohort study with historical control group only.