Nov 27, 2020

Choosing Wisely: Computed Tomography in the Diagnosis of Adolescents With Intrathoracic Tuberculosis

Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society
Spenta Kakalia, Aparna Chakravarty, David Manson, Ray Lam, Valerie Waters, Ian Kitai
In a retrospective study of adolescents with intrathoracic tuberculosis (TB), 26 out of the 81 (32%) patients had undergone chest computed tomography (CT). Chest CT was considered unnecessary in 7 (27%), necessary in 7 (27%), and possibly/probably helpful in 12 (46%). Promptly obtaining specimens for sputum smear microscopy, molecular testing, as well as culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis could avoid several unnecessary CTs.