relation: http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/35595/
title: Diagnostic methods used for pediatric TB in sub-Saharan Africa: a literature review
creator: Rafalko, Nicole
description: The purpose of this review is to investigate the gap in pediatric TB diagnosis and reporting, and identify interventions that have been found to be effective in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2017, one million children became infected with TB and 230,000 of these children died. With early diagnosis, child mortality resulting from TB infection can be prevented. TB manifests differently in children; thus, most conventional diagnostic tools fail. In Sub-Saharan Africa alone, it is estimated that 20% of all active TB cases are in children. Since childhood TB is a major public health issue, there is a dire need for better diagnostics and reporting systems. Moreover, TB is the leading cause of death in HIV positive individuals making it important to discuss HIV status and other comorbidities affecting diagnosis and reporting of pediatric TB. BCG vaccination can also interfere with TB diagnosis and high BCG vaccination rates make accurate diagnosis difficult due to cross reactivity with some diagnostic methods. Many children in high TB endemic areas like Sub-Saharan Africa suffer from severe acute malnutrition which complicates early diagnosis in children.  For the purpose of this review, HIV positive individuals and malnutrition status will be included in the analysis as well as BCG vaccination rates because all pose challenges to diagnosing childhood TB in Sub-Saharan Africa.
date: 2018-12-12
type: Other Thesis, Dissertation, or Long Paper
type: PeerReviewed
format: application/pdf
language: en
identifier: http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/35595/1/NicoleRafalko_MPHEssay.pdf
identifier:   Rafalko, Nicole  (2018) Diagnostic methods used for pediatric TB in sub-Saharan Africa: a literature review.  Master Essay, University of Pittsburgh.