PROFILE OF TUBERCULOSIS IN CHILDREN (0-18 YEARS): A HOSPITAL BASED STUDY FROM MEGHALAYA, INDIA

Objective: To record the various demographic details and presentation of all types of tuberculosis presenting in children (0-18 years). Design: Prospective observational Setting: Department of Pediatrics & Neonatology, Nazareth Hospital, Shillong, Meghalaya. Participants:All children below 18 completed years of age diagnosed with any form of tuberculosis. Main outcome measures: Various demographic details, clinical presentations, and relevant investigations of all types of tuberculosis. Results: 31 children and adolescents with tuberculosis were included in the study. Among 31 patients, most (87%) belonged to the 12 to 18 years of age group. Females (51.61%) were more common. Most of the patients belonged to the Class V socioeconomic class and lived in overcrowded rooms (54.8%). Most of them were malnourished (51.6%). Second hand smoking was present in 70 % of patients. History of contact with pulmonary TB cases was seen in only 38.7% of patients. BCG scar was present in 38.7% of patients. Fever (54.8%) was the most common symptom followed by cough (51.6%) and weight loss (41.9%). The most common type of TB was extrapulmonary TB (45.16%) followed by pulmonary TB (35.48%) and disseminated TB (19.35%). Microbiologically conrmed cases (64.52%) were more common than clinically diagnosed cases (35.48%). Smear positivity was seen in only 19.3% of patients. Chest X-ray suggestive of TB was present in 45.1% of patients. CBNAAT positivity was seen in 45.1% of patients. Conclusions: The commonest form of tuberculosis was extrapulmonary TB followed by Pulmonary and disseminated tuberculosis in our study