Clinical and Laboratory Evaluation of Pediatric Tuberculosis Cases in Light of Nutritional Indicators
Abstract
Objectives: Pediatric tuberculosis is a
major public health problem. Malnutrition characterized with wasting is
prevalent among pediatric tuberculosis patients. We aimed to review pediatric
tuberculosis cases by considering their nutrition manifestations.
Materials and Methods: The study
evaluated demographical, clinical, anthropometric, microbiological,
histopathological and radiological characteristics of tuberculosis patients,
retrospectively.
Results: The study involved 77
tuberculosis cases. Sixty-three percent of the patients were male with a mean
age of 9.32±4.91 years. Twenty-four patients (31%) diagnosed with definite
tuberculosis, thirty-nine patients (50%) with probable tuberculosis, and
fourteen patients (18%) with latent tuberculosis infection. Acid resistant
bacteria were observed in 33%, culture positivity was observed in 20%, both
acid resistant bacteria and culture positivity was observed in 45% of definite
diagnosed group. Forty percent of patients had pulmonary, 32% had
extrapulmonary, 6% had miliary, 2% had both pulmonary and extrapulmonary
tuberculosis. Pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosed patients were significantly
older than extrapulmonary plus miliary group (p=0.003). Culture positivity rate
was significantly higher in pulmonary, diagnostic histopathological sampling
rate was significantly higher in extrapulmonary plus miliary group (p=0.019,
p=0.012). Thirty seven percent of patients had a contact history, 23% of those
had household contact, and the most common index cases were fathers. The
tuberculin test was positive in 11 patients (45%) with definite and 15 patients
(38%) with probable tuberculosis. No significant difference has been observed
between definite and probable tuberculosis groups according to the sex, average
age, symptom duration, tuberculin test positivity, Bacille Calmette-Guerin
vaccine scar presence, contact history rate, hematologic tests, and
anthropometric measurements (p>0.05). At the time of diagnosis mean (SD)
values of height for age and weight for height medians [ 94.35 (7.50) % and
85.72 (6.92) %, respectively] refered to mild malnutrition, the same conditions
were remaining at the end of treatment. When height for age taken into
consideration the chronic malnutrated group was probable tuberculosis group.
Weight for height (for <5 years old cases) and body mass index (for ≥5 years
old cases) Z scores of sixteen patients were less than -2 SD value and these
moderae malnutrated cases were remaining at the end of treatment. There was not
a statistical significance between anthropometric measurements at the time of
diagnosis and at the end of antituberculosis treatment (p>0.05).
Conclusion: Nutrition status
monitoring, correcting nutritional deficiencies and failures can be neglected
in course of antituberculosis treatment. Tuberculosis management should be
integrated with malnutrition monitoring in pediatric cases.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Health Care Administration
Journal Section
Research Article
Publication Date
March 22, 2019
Submission Date
October 30, 2018
Acceptance Date
December 26, 2018
Published in Issue
Year 2019 Volume: 19 Number: 1