Almost all HIV-infected patients with TB have cough, fever, or night sweats; however, culture is required for diagnosis in most patients with these symptoms.
The World Health Organization (WHO) algorithm for TB screening in HIV-infected outpatients is based on the presence of a cough lasting ≥2 weeks. However, when this approach is used, many infections are missed (Abstract 779, 2009 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections). To develop a better algorithm, researchers examined clinical and laboratory predictors of TB in HIV-infected patients who had not yet started antiretroviral therapy. All patients underwent in-depth testing, including stains of sputum and cultures of sputum, blood, urine, stool, and (if adenopathy was present) lymph-node aspirate.
A total of 1768 patients were enrolled from eight outpatient clinics in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam; 267 (15%) were determined t…
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresGrant/Research SupportNIH
Editorial BoardsUpToDate; ID Images (idimages.org); Infectious Diseases Society of America COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines; International Antiviral Society–USA (Guidelines Committee)
Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesHIV Medicine Association; Infectious Diseases Society of America (Board of Directors)
DisclosuresGrant/Research SupportNIH
Editorial BoardsUpToDate; ID Images (idimages.org); Infectious Diseases Society of America COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines; International Antiviral Society–USA (Guidelines Committee)
Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesHIV Medicine Association; Infectious Diseases Society of America (Board of Directors)