Household Contact Tracing With Intensified Tuberculosis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Screening in South Africa: A Cluster-Randomized Trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Household contact tracing for tuberculosis (TB) may facilitate diagnosis and access to TB preventive treatment (TPT). We investigated whether household contact tracing and intensive TB/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening would improve TB-free survival.

Methods

Household contacts of index TB patients in 2 South African provinces were randomized to home tracing and intensive HIV/TB screening or standard of care (SOC; clinic referral letters). The primary outcome was incident TB or death at 15 months. Secondary outcomes included tuberculin skin test (TST) positivity in children ≤14 years and undiagnosed HIV.

Results

From December 2016 through March 2019, 1032 index patients (4459 contacts) and 1030 (4129 contacts) were randomized to the intervention a

SUBMITTER: Martinson NA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9477445 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature