Critical Review of Tuberculosis Diagnosis in Children from Papua New Guinea Presenting to Health Facilities in the Torres Strait Islands, Australia

Abstract

Paediatric tuberculosis can be challenging to diagnose, and various approaches are used in different settings. A retrospective review was conducted on Papua New Guinea (PNG) children with presumptive TB who presented for health care in the Torres Strait Islands, Australia, between 2016 and 2019. We compared diagnostic algorithms including the modified Keith Edwards TB Score, The Union Desk Guide, and the new World Health Organization (WHO) algorithm, with diagnostic practices used in the remote Torres Strait Islands. Of the 66 children with presumptive TB, 7 had bacteriologically confirmed TB. The majority (52%) were under 5 years (median age 61 months), and 45% were malnourished. There was moderate agreement across the diagnostic methods (K = 0.34; 95% CI 0.23–0.46), with the highest concordance observed between The Union Desk Guide and the WHO’s algorithm (K = 0.61). Local TB physicians might have over-diagnosed presumed lymph node TB while under-diagnosing TB overall. Enhancing the precision and promptness of paediatric TB diagnosis using practical tools is pivotal to decrease TB-related child mortality, notably in isolated regions like the Torres Strait and the Western Province of PNG.

Keywords

• paediatric tuberculosis
• Torres Strait Islands
• tuberculosis diagnostics
• Torres Strait/PNG border
• WHO Paediatric TB Algorithm
• The Union Desk Guide