Table 1. Characteristics of patient cohort.
Significant differences are indicated in the right hand column.
| Patient characteristics | Control | TB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total no. | 10 | 15 | |
| Male:Female | 4:6 | 10:5 | |
| Median age (range) years | 31.5 (21-48) | 40 (24-73) | ns |
| Symptoms (duration in days) | |||
| Any | 1 | 15 | |
| Fever | 1 | 11 | |
| Cough | 0 | 14 | |
| Haemoptysis | 0 | 1 | |
| Night sweats | 1 | 12 | |
| Weight loss | 0 | 8 | |
| Breathlessness | 0 | 6 | |
| Pleuritic pain | 1 | 11 | |
| Anorexia | 1 | 3 | |
| Median duration (range) | 0 (0-4) | 30 (7-98) | p<0.0001 |
| Examination | |||
| Median Body Mass Index (range) | 25.4 (17.5 - 55.7) | 21.6 (18.5 – 29.1) | p<0.05 |
| Temp>37.5°C | 0 | 1 | ns |
| Abnormal respiratory examination | 4 | 13 | |
| Smear | |||
| Positive | 0 | 8 | |
| Negative | 10 | 7 | |
| Culture | |||
| Positive | 0 | 12 | |
| Negative | 10 | 3 * |
*
One of these 3 patients was smear positive. All had clinical features highly suggestive of TB with diagnostic features on chest radiograph, and were commenced on anti-tuberculous therapy by the treating physician.