title: New Diagnostics for Childhood Tuberculosis.
abstract: The challenge of diagnosing childhood tuberculosis (TB) results from its paucibacillary nature and the difficulties of sputum collection in children. Mycobacterial culture, the diagnostic gold standard, provides microbiological confirmation in only 30% to 40% of childhood pulmonary TB cases and takes up to 6 weeks to result. Conventional drug susceptibility testing requires an additional 2 to 4 weeks after culture confirmation. In response to the low sensitivity and long wait time of the traditional diagnostic approach, many new assays have been developed. These new tools have shortened time to result; however, none of them offer greater sensitivity than culture.
authors.affiliation: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1102 Bates Street, Suite 1150, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, 641 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Silvia S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, 2401 Gillham Road, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA.
authors.forename: Douglas S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Swanson
authors.affiliation: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1102 Bates Street, Suite 1150, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address: jrstarke@texaschildrens.org.
authors.forename: Jeffrey R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Starke
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002648:Child; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D059425:Interferon-gamma Release Tests; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic / Q000592:standards; D012015:Reference Standards; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
keywords: Childhood tuberculosis; Diagnosis; Drug susceptibility testing; Interferon-γ release assay; Line probe assays; Microscopic-observation drug-susceptibility assay; Nitrate reductase assay; Xpert MTB/RIF