Effectiveness of Tuberculosis Screening Technology in the Initiation of Correct Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Thailand: Comparative Analysis of Xpert MTB/RIF Versus Sputum AFB Smear

Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is one of the top 10 causes of mortality worldwide in 2016. Early detection is very important, as it can help early treatment. This study compared 2 separate methods of diagnosing PTB among suspected patients, specifically examining correct diagnosis and the duration of receiving a correct diagnosis. It was carried out in a tertiary care public hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. Ninety patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups, one with the Xpert MTB/RIF ( Mycobacterium tuberculosis/rifampicin) and the other with sputum AFB (acid-fast bacilli) smear. The proportion of correct diagnosis was 90.9% and 83.7% for the Xpert MTB/RIF and the comparison group, respectively. The difference was not statistically significant ( P > .05). However, the time to correct diagnosis in the Xpert MTB/RIF group was significantly shorter than the comparison group (2.23 days). This could lead to early diagnosis and lower transmission rate of PTB cases. Results support the provision of Xpert MTB/RIF as the initial diagnostic test for PTB in Thailand.