TABLE 2.
Sensitivity and specificity subgroup analyses: different regions, economic statuses, study designs, sputum smear statuses, and ages
| Parameter (no. of studies) | Sensitivity (95% CI) | P | Specificity (95% CI) | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | ||||
| Adult (16) | 0.88 (0.84–0.92) | >0.05 | 0.92 (0.90–0.95) | <0.05 |
| Children (2) | 0.81 (0.60–1.00) | 0.51 (0.35–0.68) | ||
| Country | ||||
| Developed countries (5) | 0.83 (0.75–0.90) | >0.05 | 0.97 (0.94–1.00) | >0.05 |
| Developing countries (13) | 0.90 (0.86–0.93) | 0.89 (0.81–0.96) | ||
| Study design | ||||
| Retrospective studies (8) | 0.86 (0.79–0.92) | >0.05 | 0.96 (0.92–1.00) | >0.05 |
| Prospective studies (10) | 0.89 (0.85–0.94) | 0.88 (0.78–0.98) | ||
| Sputum test | ||||
| Sputum smear negative/sputum scarce (8) | 0.86 (0.80–0.92) | >0.05 | 0.93 (0.86–1.00) | >0.05 |
| Sputum smear positive (10) | 0.89 (0.85–0.94) | 0.92 (0.85–0.99) | ||
| Culture method | ||||
| Liquid or both media (14) | 0.87 (0.82–0.91) | >0.05 | 0.91 (0.85–0.98) | >0.05 |
| Solid media or uncertain (4) | 0.91 (0.85–0.97) | 0.95 (0.88–1.00) | ||
| Preanalytic procedure | ||||
| Yes (5) | 0.88 (0.82–0.95) | >0.05 | 0.95 (0.89–1.00) | >0.05 |
| No or uncertain (13) | 0.88 (0.83–0.92) | 0.91 (0.84–0.98) |