SynthesisPediatrics2023
Number Needed to Screen for Tuberculosis Disease Among Children: A Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Pediatrics, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Programmatic Results of Integrating Systematic TB Screening Across Diverse Outpatient Health System Entry Points in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2026Article
- Revealing Gaps in Our Understanding of Finding Children With TB and Our Ability to Inform Policy.Pediatrics · 2023Article
- Missed opportunities in the prevention and diagnosis of pediatric tuberculosis: a scoping review.Jornal de pediatriaArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
contextImproving detection of pediatric tuberculosis (TB) is critical to reducing morbidity and mortality among children.
objectiveWe conducted a systematic review to estimate the number of children needed to screen (NNS) to detect a single case of active TB using different active case finding (ACF) screening approaches and across different settings. DATA SOURCES: We searched 4 databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library) for articles published from November 2010 to February 2020. STUDY SELECTION: We included studies of TB ACF in children using symptom-based screening, clinical indicators, chest x-ray, and Xpert. DATA EXTRACTION: We indirectly estimated the weighted mean NNS for a given modality, location, and population using the inverse of the weighted prevalence. We assessed risk of bias using a modified AXIS tool.
resultsWe screened 27 221 titles and abstracts, of which we included 31 studies of ACF in children < 15 years old. Symptom-based screening was the most common screening modality (weighted mean NNS: 257 [range, 5-undefined], 19 studies). The weighted mean NNS was lower in both inpatient (216 [18-241]) and outpatient (67 [5-undefined]) settings (107 [5-undefined]) compared with community (1117 [28-5146]) and school settings (464 [118-665]). Risk of bias was low. LIMITATIONS: Heterogeneity in the screening modalities and populations make it difficult to draw conclusions.
conclusionsWe identified a potential opportunity to increase TB detection by screening children presenting in health care settings. Pediatric TB case finding interventions should incorporate evidence-based interventions and local contextual information in an effort to detect as many children with TB as possible.
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Registered trials
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.