The role of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay among adolescents suspected of pulmonary tuberculosis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Thania Luiza de Andrade Sieiro, Rafaela Baroni Aurílio, Elizabeth Cristina C. Soares, Silvia S. Chiang, Clemax Couto Sant´Anna
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT)
• Subjects: Tuberculosis; Adolescents; Polymerase chain reaction; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic; Rif
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0298-2017; https://doaj.org/article/f779b7b8899d4aa99b4cf05323d67d68

Abstract INTRODUCTION The teste rápido molecular para tuberculose (TRM-TB) was introduced in 2014 in Brazil for tuberculosis screening. However, its role in adolescents in Brazil has not been studied. METHODS A descriptive study of adolescents with suspected tuberculosis using National Laboratory software. RESULTS Of 852 (15.4%) suspected cases, 131 were positive by TRM-TB and 2% were resistant to rifampicin. Among TRM-TB-positive cases, 105 (91.4%) were culture-positive. Sixty-four of 96 samples were sensitive to rifampicin by TRM-TB; 11 were resistant to other drugs by drug sensitivity test (DST). CONCLUSIONS Among suspected cases, 16% were diagnosed by TRM-TB, of which 17% were drug-resistant by DST.