title: Management and outcome of TB suspects admitted to the medical wards of a central hospital in Malawi.
abstract: In a study conducted in the medical wards of Lilongwe Central Hospital, Malawi, 84 (18%) of 470 medical admissions were TB suspects. Of these, 21 (25%) had the diagnosis confirmed; the median length of time between admission and starting anti-TB treatment was 10 days. Of the remaining TB suspects, 24 (29%) had another diagnosis made, principally pneumonia, and 39 (46%) had no diagnosis made, with half of these patients dying under investigation in hospital. Improved and more rapid ways of managing TB suspects need to be found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Lilongwe Central Hospital, Lilongwe, Malawi.
authors.forename: Jeremy H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Friend
authors.forename: Shirin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: Anthony D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Harries
authors.forename: Felix M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Salaniponi
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Neuhann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D008295:Malawi; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents