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Table 1 Baseline characteristics of febrile extrapulmonary tuberculosis patients referred with fever of unknown origin

From: Delayed diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis presenting as fever of unknown origin in an intermediate-burden country

Variables

 

Total (n = 95)

Group of early diagnosis (n = 64)

Group of delayed diagnosis (n = 31)

p-value

Median age, years (range)

56 (15–88)

51 (18–81)

64 (15–88)

0.128

Male sex, n (%)

53 (55.8)

37 (57.8)

16 (51.6)

0.568

Previous history of TB, n (%)

7 (7.4)

4 (6.3)

3 (9.7)

0.549

Comorbidity, n (%)

None

45 (47.4)

33 (51.6)

12 (38.7)

0.239

Diabetes mellitus

18 (19.0)

8 (12.5)

10 (32.3)

0.021

Hypertension

25 (26.3)

13 (20.3)

12 (38.7)

0.056

Chronic kidney disease

18 (19.0)

9 (14.1)

9 (29.0)

0.081

Heart failure

9 (9.5)

4 (6.3)

5 (16.1)

0.123

Chronic liver disease

3 (3.2)

3 (4.7)

0

0.548

Chronic obstructive lung disease

1 (1.1)

0

1 (3.2)

0.326

CVA with residual sequelae

9 (9.5)

5 (7.8)

4 (12.9)

0.467

Solid organ malignancy

2 (2.1)

2 (3.1)

0

1.000

Hematologic malignancy

5 (5.3)

2 (3.1)

3 (9.7)

0.326

Autoimmune disease

6 (6.3)

5 (7.8)

1 (3.2)

0.660

Solid organ transplantation

2 (2.1)

2 (3.1)

0

1.000

HIV-infected

4 (4.2)

3 (4.7)

1 (3.2)

1.000

Median fever duration before admission, days (IQR)

11 (0–29)

12.5 (0–25.5)

8 (0–31)

0.178

Median duration from admission to diagnosis, days (IQR)

2 (1–5)

1 (0–2)

8 (5–11)

<0.001

Median duration from anti-TB medication to the resolution of fever, days (IQR)

3 (2–5)

2 (2–11)

3 (2–4)

0.199

Median length of hospital stay, days (IQR)

14 (9–24)

12 (7–22)

21 (15–32)

0.037

Indication for the start of anti-TB medication, n (%)

MTB culture

2 (2.1)

2 (3.1)

0

0.695

AFB smear, MTB-PCR, histopathology/cytology

78 (82.1)

51 (79.7)

27 (87.1)

 

Clinical decision

15 (15.8)

11 (17.2)

4 (12.9)

 

Final diagnosis, n (%)

Definite TB

68 (71.6)

49 (76.6)

19 (61.3)

0.271

Probable TB

23 (24.2)

13 (20.3)

10 (32.2)

 

Possible TB

4 (4.2)

2 (3.1)

2 (6.5)

 

Treatment outcome, n (%)

Success

78 (82.1)

52 (81.3)

26 (83.9)

1.000

Failure

0

0

0

 

Death

4 (4.2)

3 (4.7)

1 (3.2)

 

Default

13 (13.7)

9 (14.0)

4 (12.9)

 
  1. Abbreviations: AFB acid-fast bacilli, CVA cerebrovascular accident, EPTB extrapulmonary tuberculosis, HIV human immunodeficiency virus, IQR interquartile range, PTB pulmonary tuberculosis, TB tuberculosis