Nhan Dan Online - A new approach to detect tuberculosis (TB) in patients infected with HIV was announced on March 2.

The new screening method is expected to reduce the worldwide impact of TB which is the number one killer of adults with HIV with nearly 50% of patients diagnosed with TB dying during treatment.

According to researchers, screening for TB should include asking questions about a combination of symptoms, including cough of any duration, fever of any duration, or night sweats for at least 3 weeks. By asking a person with HIV such three questions, a clinician can detect 93% of people with HIV who had TB and accurately exclude TB.

Currently, clinicians screen people with HIV for TB only by asking the patient about chronic cough alone which leads to missing 2/3 of TB cases.

The new screening method will help to identify a more accurate way of screening for TB so that people with HIV can be diagnosed and treated earlier.

The study was conducted by the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in co-ordination with partners in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.

By Tran Thuy