Feasibility of the string test for tuberculosis diagnosis in children between 4 and 14 years old

BMC Infectious Diseases

Table 4 Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture positivity by sample type among 50 children with a successful string test

Sample type	4–10 years old		11–14 years old		Total
	N = 26		N = 24		N = 50
	n/N	%	n/N	%	n/N	%
String vs. Gastric Aspirate
String test	0/ 14	0	1/7	14	1/21	5
Gastric aspirate	0/14	0	1/7	14	1/21*	5
String vs. Sputum
String test	0/ 15	0	6/19	32	6/34	18
Spontaneous sputum	1/13	8	7/18*	41	8/31	26
Induced sputum	0/2	0	1/2*	50	1/4*	25

*Children with multiple respiratory sample types (spontaneous sputum, induced sputum, gastric aspirate) are included in the denominator of each sample type; therefore, the denominator is greater than the number of children. In the 11–14 age group: one child provided one spontaneous and one induced sputum sample, both culture negative. Another child in this group provided one gastric aspirate and one induced sputum; both culture positive

ISSN: 1471-2334