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Table 4 Clinical and laboratory features of children with culture-confirmed TB, compared in relevant age groups

From: Culture-confirmed childhood tuberculosis in Cape Town, South Africa: a review of 596 cases

Feature

Age < 3 years n = 334 (%)

Age > 3 years n = 262 (%)

Odds ratio (95% CI)

History of TB contact

183 (54.8)

112 (42.7)

1.62 (1.16–2.20)

Parent with TB

83 (24.9)

38 (14.5)

1.95 (1.25–3.05)

Previous TB treatment

33 (9.9)

49 (18.7)

0.48 (0.29–0.79)

Malnutrition/WFA < 3rd centile

170/320 (53.1)

107/258 (41.5)

1.60 (1.13–2.26)

Tuberculin skin test ≥ 10 mm

176/238 (73.9)

151/187 (80.7)

NS

All pulmonary TB

303 (90.7)

214 (81.7)

2.19 (1.32–3.66)

All extrapulmonary TB

144 (43.1)

164 (62.6)

0.45 (0.32–0.64)

   Miliary [also TB meningitis]

43 (12.9) [12 (3.6)]

26 (9.9) [13 (5.0)]

NS

   TB meningitis

49 (14.7)

40 (15.3)

NS

   Pleural effusion (large)

4 (1.2)

25 (9.5)

0.11 (0.03–0.35)

   Lymph node TB

42 (12.6)

52 (19.8)

0.58 (0.36–0.93)

   Abdominal TB

15 (4.5)

28 (10.7)

0.39 (0.20–0.78)

   Osteoarticular TB

3 (0.9)

15 (5.7)

0.15 (0.03–0.56)

   Other EPTB

10 (3.0)

23 (8.8)

0.32 (0.14–0.72)

HIV test done

258 (77.2)

156 (59.5)

2.31 (1.59–3.34)

HIV-infected (of those done)

77 (29.8)

56 (35.9)

NS

Outcome – Died

31 (9.3)

10 (3.8)

2.58 (1.19–5.74)

Chest radiographic features

n = 299

n = 256

0.20 (0.07–0.51)

   Lymphadenopathy

175 (58.5)

113 (44.1)

1.79 (1.26–2.54)

   Airway compression

86 (28.8)

11 (4.3)

8.99 (4.52–18.33)

   Alveolar opacification

179 (59.9)

106 (41.4)

2.11 (1.48–3.01)

   Expansile pneumonia

25 (8.4)

9 (3.5)

2.50 (1.09–5.90)

   Bronchopneumonic opac

33 (11.0)

22 (8.6)

NS

   Collapse lobe/segment

31 (10.4)

21 (8.2)

NS

   Cavities

55 (18.4)

51 (19.9)

NS

   Ghon focus

17 (5.7)

9 (3.5)

NS

   Hyperinflation

17 (5.7)

0

P < 0.001

   Calcification

1 (0.3)

12 (4.7)

P = 0.002

   Normal chest radiograph

26 (8.7)

28 (10.9)

NS

  1. WFA = weight for age; NS = not significant