Can tuberculosis case finding among health-care seeking adults be improved? Observations from Bissau

Abstract

Case finding could be improved by screening symptomatic adults for cough and/or weight loss using TBscore II as the trigger for smear microscopy. To suspect PTB only in patients with cough > 2 weeks (non-HIV-infected) or with current cough, fever, weight loss or night sweats (HIV-infected) was not effective in patients whose HIV status was unknown at first visit.