Cochrane · systematic review · CD013693
Screening tests for active pulmonary tuberculosis in children
Vonasek, B, Ness, T, Takwoingi, Y, et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2021 · Cochrane Library
Infectious DiseasesAMSTAR 2: not assessed
SoF tableOnly the outcomes this review put in its Summary of Findings table are listed (the Cochrane Handbook caps them at about seven per comparison). Its other analyses are not shown here.
Questions
10
current version
GRADE rated
7
No studies
3
Included studies
NR
No studies 3 · 30%Ungraded 0 · 0%Very low 1 · 10%Low 3 · 30%Moderate 3 · 30%High 0 · 0%
Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.
Questions and results
Symptoms for screening of pulmonary tuberculosis
Population: children with close tuberculosis contacts Index tests: groups of multiple symptoms Role: an initial test Threshold for index tests: any 1 of multiple symptoms Reference standards: composite
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Index test | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
≥ 1 of cough, fever, or poor weight gain | no estimate extracted | 4 studies · 113 participants | Low Downgraded: imprecision, inconsistency |
≥ 1 of cough, fever, or decreased playfulness | no estimate extracted | 3 studies · 106 participants | Moderate Downgraded: imprecision |
≥ 1 of cough, fever, poor weight gain, or tuberculosis close contact (WHO 4‐symptom symptom screen) | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 1219 participants | Moderate Downgraded: risk of bias |
Chest radiography for screening of pulmonary tuberculosis
Population: children with close tuberculosis contacts Index test: abnormal chest radiography Role: an initial test Threshold for index tests: author defined and implicit as utilized by the chest radiography reader Reference standard: composite
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Estimation (95% Cl) | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Pooled sensitivity 87% (75% to 93%) | no estimate extracted | 8 studies · 232 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision, inconsistency |
Pooled specificity 99% (68% to 100%) | no estimate extracted | 8 studies · 3281 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision, inconsistency |
Xpert MTB/RIF for screening of pulmonary tuberculosis
Population: children evaluated in inpatient or outpatient settings Index tests: Xpert MTB/RIF Role: an initial test Threshold for index tests: an automated result is provided Reference standard: microbiological
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Estimations | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Sensitivities 43% and 100% | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 16 participants | Very low Downgraded: imprecision, inconsistency, indirectness |
Specificities 99% and 100% | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 771 participants | Moderate Downgraded: indirectness |