Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is an important cause ofmorbidity and mortality in children especially in TB endemicsettings. In endemic regions of TB, it is a major yet anunrecognised factor for death among children. Childrenare usually assessed when they present with symptoms orsigns associated with TB. The standard tuberculin test canbe used as an adjunct in diagnosing TB in children, howeverdefinitive proof for lesion being of tuberculous origin is findingof tubercle bacilli.Aim: To determine the association between the clinicalfeatures in suspected pulmonary TB with sputum positivity.Materials and Methods: Mantoux test for every childsuspected to be suffering from TB was done. X-ray radiographywas done and findings were recorded from December 2017to June 2019. Two sputum samples were collected fromevery suspected case. One in a sterile specimen cup with atight-fitting cap was sent for Ziehl-Neelsen staining and theother in a falcon tube was sent for Cartridge Based NucleicAcid Amplification Test (CBNAAT). The data was analysedusing Microsoft SPSS version 26.0 and along with graph padprism software.Results: Out of 53 subjects, 10 patients (19%) tested positivefor acid fast bacilli via Ziehl-Neelsen staining as well asCBNAAT and remaining 43 patients (81%) tested negative.Mantoux test results were not significantly different from thepercentage of patients with sputum negativity (93.02%). Thepercentage of sputum positive patients with cavitations onchest X-ray was 70% which was significantly higher.Conclusion: Females were more likely to suffer from TBdisease as compared to the males. Sputum positivity wassignificantly associated with cavitatory lesion on chest X-ray.
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