Screening For Tuberculosis Disease

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Screening For Tuberculosis Disease
Learning Objectives
Understand TB Screening in terms of

Screening is a process to filter out people that are less likely to have a health condition of interest.

Done using 4 Symptom complex and in some cases using X-ray.

Advantage - increases pre-test probability of positivity / yield and reduces unwanted diagnostic testing.

Understand a population is systematically screened in intensified and active case finding efforts.

H5Content

Content

Screening for active tuberculosis (TB) a process to filter out people who are less likely to have TB, from a group. Screened positive people are likely to have TB and are confirmed subsequently using a TB diagnostic test. This will allow finite diagnostic testing resources to be used on the remaining.

Screening in TB may be performed using simple field tools (4 Symptom complex) and tests such as Chest X-ray, or a combination of both. Combination of both is the most effective, but is often not applied due to the practical difficulties in making a chest X-ray conveniently available.

Screening is an integral part of any general case finding effort. It is also applied systematically in specific situations.

At health care facilities (intensified case finding): Here those visiting are screened using the 4 symptom complex, often at the point of entry to the facility. Those screened positive may be fast-tracked to TB Diagnostic testing.
In vulnerable populations in active case finding efforts: Here the entire population identified for active case finding are screened using the pre-decided protocols by going door to door.

Resources