Skip to main content

Table 3 Diagnostic tests and drug resistances in older and younger tuberculosis patients

From: Clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of tuberculosis in the elderly: a case control study

Characteristics

Older

Younger

p-value

Positive AFB smear

67/190 (35)

66/247 (27)

0.060

Positive culture for M.TB

155/191 (81)

169/248 (68)

0.002

Positive TB PCR

146/190 (77)

168/247 (68)

0.053

Positive IGRA

56/63 (89)

87/97 (90)

1.000

Positive tuberculin skin test

86/92 (93)

133/143 (93)

1.000

Confirmed by bronchoscopy in pulmonary TB*

64/173 (37)

53/222 (24)

0.005

Drug resistances

   

 Resistance to INH

10/137 (7)

15/160 (9)

0.665

 Multi-drug resistance

1/137 (1)

6/160 (4)

0.185

  1. The data are presented as n (%).
  2. *: included both of the pulmonary tuberculosis, and pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis.
  3. IGRA = interferon gamma releasing assay, INH = isoniazid, MDR = multi-drug resistant, M.TB = Mycobacterium tuberculosis, RFP = rifampin.