Pulmonary Tuberculosis Detection with MiniDock MTB Using Swab Samples.

What was studied

This study tested a new TB test called MiniDock MTB. It looked for TB in the lungs. Clinics took part in Uganda, Zambia, Nigeria and South Africa. Others were in India, Vietnam and the Philippines. People aged 12 or more who might have lung TB took part. The test used swabs of coughed-up spit and swabs of the tongue. Results were checked against a lab culture of spit. They were also set against other TB tests.

What they found

In all, 1380 people took part. Of these, 255 had HIV. And 226 had TB shown by lab culture. The new test picked up TB well with spit swabs. It found TB less often with tongue swabs than with spit swabs. It rarely gave a positive result in people without TB. With spit, it did about as well as the Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra test. It found more TB than looking at spit under a microscope. Users gave it a middle score of 75 on a scale from 0 to 100. This was seen as good ease of use. No harms linked to the test were reported.

What it means for patients

The authors say the test met WHO goals for accuracy. It also met WHO goals for ease of use. These results held across many kinds of clinics. The authors note that better TB tests are needed for local health centers.

Why it is not certain yet

The study looked at each person at one point in time. It did not follow people later to see how they did. The abstract does not say if this test changed care or health. The tongue swab missed more cases than the spit swab.

Source

Pulmonary Tuberculosis Detection with MiniDock MTB Using Swab Samples.

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