Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34544371›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2021

Spot specimen testing with GeneXpert MTB/RIF results compared to morning specimen in a programmatic setting in Cotonou, Benin.

Faridath Massou, Merlin Fandohan, Ablo Prudence Wachinou, Schadrac Christin Agbla, Gildas Agodokpessi, Leen Rigouts, Bouke Catherine de Jong, Dissou Affolabi

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 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact, top 89% 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

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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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Authors' response.The Indian journal of medical research · 2025
    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

8 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Faridath MassouNational Tuberculosis Program, NTP, Cotonou, Benin. abenimas@gmail.com.
Merlin FandohanNational Tuberculosis Program, NTP, Cotonou, Benin.
Ablo Prudence WachinouNational Tuberculosis Program, NTP, Cotonou, Benin.
Schadrac Christin AgblaLondon School of Hygien and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Gildas AgodokpessiNational Tuberculosis Program, NTP, Cotonou, Benin.
Leen RigoutsInstitute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
Bouke Catherine de JongInstitute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
Dissou AffolabiNational Tuberculosis Program, NTP, Cotonou, Benin.
Progamme National Contre le Tuberculose · BJInstituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde · BEUniversity of Liverpool · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) using smear microscopy has been based on testing two specimens: one spot and one early morning sputa. Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended to replace, whenever possible, microscopy with GeneXpert® MTB/RIF performed on a single specimen. However, as the bacterial load is higher in early morning specimens than in spot specimens, one could expect lower sensitivity of GeneXpert® MTB/RIF performed only on spot specimens. In this study, we compared results of GeneXpert® MTB/RIF on spot specimens versus early morning specimens, under programmatic conditions in Cotonou, Benin.

methodsFrom June to September 2018, all sputa received from presumptive TB patients at the Supranational Reference Laboratory for Tuberculosis of Cotonou were included in the study. From each patient, two specimens were collected (one spot and one early morning) and GeneXpert® MTB/RIF was performed on both specimens.

resultsIn total, 886 participants were included in the study, of whom 737 provided both sputa and 149 (16.8%) gave only the spot specimen. For the 737 participants who provided both sputa, GeneXpert® MTB/RIF was positive for both specimens in 152 participants; for three participants GeneXpert® MTB/RIF was positive on spot specimen but negative on morning specimen while for another three, the test was positive on morning specimen but negative on spot specimen. The overall percentage of agreement was excellent (99.2%) with a positive and negative percent agreement greater than 98%.

conclusionFor TB diagnosis under programmatic conditions in Cotonou, GeneXpert® MTB/RIF in spot specimens gave similar results with the test in morning specimens. Performing GeneXpert® MTB/RIF in both specimens did not significantly increase the number of cases detected. To avoid losing patients from the diagnostic cascade, it is preferable to test sputa produced at the time of the first visit at the health center.

Indexed as

Mycobacterium tuberculosisBeninDrug Resistance, BacterialHumansRifampinSensitivity and SpecificitySputumRifampinGeneXpert® MTB/RIFScreening strategySpecimens

Identifiers

PMID34544371
PMCPMC8454072
OpenAlexW3199484004

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.