title: Screening adult tuberculosis patients for diabetes mellitus in Ebeye, Republic of the Marshall Islands.
abstract: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the screening of adult TB patients for diabetes (DM) using glycated haemoglobin (HbA1C) in Ebeye, Republic of the Marshall Islands. Of 62 patients registered between July 2010 and December 2012, 28 (45%) had DM. The only significant difference in baseline characteristics between those with and those without DM was higher age in those with DM. Two-month sputum smears and cultures were also not different between the two groups. Despite the limited sample size, this study shows that screening TB patients for DM in Ebeye is feasible and worthwhile and that it should be continued.
authors.affiliation: Ebeye Community Health Center, Ministry of Health, Ebeye, Republic of the Marshall Islands.
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Nasa
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of TB Elimination, Atlanta, Georgia, USA ; Hawaii Department of Health, TB Branch, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brostrom
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Fiji National University, Suva, Fiji.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ram
authors.affiliation: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, South-East Asia Regional Office, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: A M V
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Ebeye Community Health Center, Ministry of Health, Ebeye, Republic of the Marshall Islands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seremai
authors.affiliation: Ebeye Community Health Center, Ministry of Health, Ebeye, Republic of the Marshall Islands.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hauma
authors.affiliation: Ebeye Community Health Center, Ministry of Health, Ebeye, Republic of the Marshall Islands.
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Langidrik
keywords: DM screening; Pacific Islands; TB outcomes; TB standards