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Home / The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Volume 12, Supplement 1

Pulmonary tuberculosis among patients visiting a voluntary confidential counseling and testing center, Cambodia

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SETTING: Voluntary counseling and confidential testing center (VCCT), Battambang District, Cambodia.

OBJECTIVES: To determine newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) prevalence and predicting factors, and assess the utility of TB-related symptoms and yield of sputum microscopy and culture.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey using interview, sputum smears and cultures and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing.

RESULTS: Of 496 participants, 29 (5.8%) had culture-confirmed PTB while 19 (65.5%) were acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear-positive. PTB prevalence was higher (P < 0.001) in HIV-positives (20/124, 16.1%) than in HIV-negatives (9/372, 2.4%). On multivariable analysis, being HIV-positive, underweight (body mass index <18.5 kg/m2), rapid weight loss and age ≥35 years were predictors of PTB. Fever (93%) and hemoptysis (86%) had the highest sensitivity and specificity, respectively. The symptom complex of rapid weight loss, fever and hemoptysis detected all PTB cases (sensitivity 100%). Examination of three sputum smears with culture of the first sample detected 95% (19/20) of the HIV-associated PTB cases and 90% (26/29) overall.

CONCLUSIONS: TB is common in the VCCT setting, regardless of HIV status. The high prevalence of HIV and PTB among the participants warrants consideration of TB screening for all HIV suspects. Such screening through VCCT is feasible. Adding a single culture test to the evaluation of an initial sputum sample set will substantially increase case detection.

Keywords: Cambodia; HIV; pulmonary tuberculosis predictors; sputum yield

Document Type: Regular Paper

Affiliations: 1: Gorgas Tuberculosis Initiative, William C Gorgas Center for Geographic Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA 2: Family Health International, Phnom Penh, Cambodia 3: Provincial TB and AIDS Office, National Tuberculosis Program, Battambang, Cambodia 4: Institute Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Publication date: 01 March 2008

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  • The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IJTLD) is for clinical research and epidemiological studies on lung health, including articles on TB, TB-HIV and respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, asthma, COPD, child lung health and the hazards of tobacco and air pollution. Individuals and institutes can subscribe to the IJTLD online or in print – simply email us at [email protected] for details.

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