Pre-treatment loss to follow-up among children with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in South Africa, 2008-2010.

ABSTRACT: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB is more difficult to diagnose and treat compared with drug-susceptible TB. Young children are at greater risk of severe TB disease and death when treatment is delayed compared to adults. We sought to describe characteristics of children (<13 years) diagnosed with MDR TB between 2008-2010 in three South African provinces and assess factors associated with pre-treatment loss to follow-up. We matched laboratory and medical records at treatment facilities to identify pre-treatment loss and examined demographic and clinical characteristics for association with loss. Categorical variables were examined for association using Pearson's x2 or Fisher's exact test, employing Bonferroni correction for multiple pairwise comparisons. Between 2008-2010, 156 children were diag

SUBMITTER: Moore BK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7138297 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature