Rapid diagnosis of pediatric intrathoracic tuberculosis from stool samples using the xpert MTB/RIF assay: A pilot study

摘要

Early rapid confirmation of tuberculosis (TB) in young children can prevent disease progression and death. The Xpert MTB/ RIF assay (Xpert; Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA), an automated real-time polymerase chain reaction assay, detects the presence of Myco-bacterium tuberculosis in sputum within 2 hours. There are no published studies regarding the use of Xpert on stool or gastric aspirates (GA) for diagnosing pediatric intrathoracic TB. GA samples are commonly obtained from children with suspected TB in resource-limited settings; stool sampling is attractive as it is noninvasive.