These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Tuberculin reactivity in first-year schoolchildren in Madagascar.
    Author: Raharimanga V, Ratovoson R, Ratsitorahina M, Ramarokoto H, Rasolofo V, Talarmin A, Richard V.
    Journal: Trop Med Int Health; 2012 Jul; 17(7):871-6. PubMed ID: 22620713.
    Abstract:
    OBJECTIVE: The tuberculin skin test (TST) is an important tool in the diagnosis of tuberculosis infection in children. However, the interpretation of TST may be complicated by prior Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination. We evaluated the effect of vaccination with BCG on TST reactivity in first-year pupils attending state schools in Antananarivo. METHODS: STs were performed on 376 first-year schoolchildren, aged 6 and 7, attending two state primary schools. The relationships between epidemiological information, BCG status (vaccination, BCG scars) and TST reactivity were assessed to compare TST sensitivity between children with and without BCG vaccination and between those with and without a BCG scar. RESULT: The prevalence of positive TST results of ≥5, ≥10 and ≥ 15 mm was 20.2% (76/376), 18.3% (69/376) and 11.4% (43/376), respectively. BCG vaccination was not associated with TST reactivity, whatever the threshold used: ≥5 mm (odds ratio (OR, 1.2; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.7-2.0); ≥10 mm (OR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.6-1.7); ≥15 mm (OR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.3-1.2). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that in Madagascar, a positive TST result indicates TB infection (active or latent) rather than past BCG vaccination. Therefore, high BCG vaccination coverage does not appear to impair the usefulness of the TST as a tool for diagnosing tuberculosis.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]