Diagnostic tests: Testing for tuberculosis

Diagnostic tests Testing for tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The approach to testing for tuberculosis depends on whether the aim is to diagnose active disease or latent infection. if active disease is suspected, it is important to identify the site of disease. Analysis of sputum specimens for mycobacteria should precede other tests. An infection should never be diagnosed as latent until active disease...

Tuberculosis in children: New diagnostic blood tests.

The interferon-gamma-release assays were developed to overcome the pitfalls and logistic difficulties of the tuberculin skin test (TST) for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). These blood tests measure the in vitro production of interferon-gamma by sensitized lymphocytes in response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific antigens. Two interferon-gamma-release assays are regis...

Robust tests for testing the parameters of a normal population

This article aims to provide a simple robust method to test the parameters of a normal population by using the new diagnostic tool called the “Forward Search” (FS) method. The most commonly used procedures to test the mean and variance of a normal distribution are Student’s t test and Chi-square test, respectively. These tests suffer from the presence of outliers. We introduce the FS version of...

Dilemmas and realities of rapid diagnostic tests for tuberculosis.

scribed in the literature and in view of published algorithms, TIPS is probably the first choice,9,12 when and where available. TIPS is the only procedure designed to ameliorate or reverse the pathophysiology causing ascites and CH. If TIPS is not available, refused by the patient, or is unsuccessful, the remaining procedures designed to divert and/or block movement of ascites into the pleural ...

Bayes theorem. Diagnostic testing for tuberculosis in children.