Missed opportunities in the prevention and diagnosis of pediatric tuberculosis: a scoping review

Daniela Otoni Russo; Ana Luisa Lodi Jimenez; Lilian Martins Oliveira Diniz; Claudete Araújo Cardoso; Roberta Maia de Castro Romanelli

doi:10.1016/j.jped.2023.10.009

Missed opportunities in the prevention and diagnosis of pediatric tuberculosis: a scoping review

J Pediatr (Rio J). 2024 Jan 30:S0021-7557(24)00006-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jped.2023.10.009. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Daniela Otoni Russo¹, Ana Luisa Lodi Jimenez², Lilian Martins Oliveira Diniz³, Claudete Araújo Cardoso⁴, Roberta Maia de Castro Romanelli⁵

Affiliations

¹ Hospital Infantil João Paulo II, Departamento de Infectologia Pediátrica, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: dani.ot.russo@hotmail.com.
² Faculdade Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
³ Hospital Infantil João Paulo II, Departamento de Infectologia Pediátrica, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
⁴ Universidade Federal Fluminense, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento Materno-Infantil, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
⁵ Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.

PMID: 38301735
DOI: 10.1016/j.jped.2023.10.009

Abstract

Objectives: Identify potential barriers, delays, and missed opportunities in the prevention and diagnosis of childhood TB.

Methods: Scoping review according to the PRISMA extension. The definitions considered for the selection followed the acronym PCC where the population (P) is children under 18 years of age with TB disease, the concept (C) refers to missed opportunities for prevention and diagnosis, and context (C) is defined as a diagnosis of TB disease. The authors searched systematically in the databases; VHL/Lilacs, Medline via PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science, without date or language limitation.

Results: Seven studies were included. In developed countries, with low disease burden, the main shortcoming is the delay in diagnosing bacilliferous adults in contact with young children. This problem is concentrated in the portion of the population with socioeconomic vulnerability. In underdeveloped countries, with a high burden of disease, the biggest challenge is tracking children who come into contact with bacilliferous patients.

Conclusions: There are still many missed opportunities in the prevention and diagnosis of childhood TB. The positive legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic should be taken advantage of and the encouragement of scientific development in the management of infectious diseases should be taken.

Keywords: Case finding; Diagnosis; Gap; Missed opportunities; Prevention; Tuberculosis.

Publication types

Review