Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34503458›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2021

Fewer losses in the cascade of care for latent tuberculosis with solo interferon-gamma release assay screening compared to sequential screening.

R K Lim, R Talavlikar, O Chiazor, J Bietz, H Gardiner, D Fisher

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.1field-weighted citation impact, top 51% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

R K LimCumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Rachel.lim@ahs.ca.
R TalavlikarMosaic Refugee Health Clinic, Mosaic Primary Care Network, Calgary, AB, Canada.
O ChiazorMosaic Refugee Health Clinic, Mosaic Primary Care Network, Calgary, AB, Canada.
J BietzMosaic Refugee Health Clinic, Mosaic Primary Care Network, Calgary, AB, Canada.
H GardinerCalgary Tuberculosis Services, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB, Canada.
D FisherCumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
University of Calgary · CAAlberta Health Services · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRefugees are at increased risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) soon after resettlement. Targeting high-risk populations for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) screening and treatment is an important measure towards eliminating TB in low incidence countries, however, there are low rates of screening and treatment completion in the LTBI cascade of care. The authors hypothesized that an interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) screening strategy would lead to a higher proportion of refugees completing LTBI screening and treatment, compared to sequential screening with tuberculin skin test (TST) and confirmatory IGRA.

methodsThis retrospective cohort study included eligible refugees screened with a sequential strategy versus a solo-IGRA strategy at different time periods from a centralized refugee clinic. The primary outcome was the proportion completing LTBI screening in each cohort.

resultsA total of 471 subjects were included (240 in sequential screening, 231 in solo-IGRA screening). 54% of refugees completed LTBI screening with sequential testing, compared to 85% of those screened with a solo-IGRA. Time to completing screening was also shorter in the solo-QFT group (difference 16.5 days, p < 0.01, 95% confidence interval 9.3, 23.7). There was a higher incidence of LTBI diagnosis in the solo-IGRA group (41 versus 20, p = 0.002). Screening completion was predicted by solo-IGRA screening (aOR 3.74, 95% confidence interval 2.30, 6.09; p < 0.001) and if refugees were privately-sponsored (aOR 2.81, 95% confidence interval 1.53, 5.15; p = 0.001). Treatment completion rates did not differ between groups.

conclusionThis study has identified fewer dropouts in the LTBI cascade of care if a solo-IGRA strategy is used for screening. An IGRA should be strongly considered as the screening method for refugees arriving in low-incidence settings if resources are available.

Indexed as

Interferon-gamma Release TestsLatent TuberculosisHumansMass ScreeningRetrospective StudiesTuberculin TestLatent tuberculosisRefugeeScreeningTuberculosis

Identifiers

PMID34503458
PMCPMC8431896
OpenAlexW3197300561

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.