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Updated: Sep 7, 2025

Diagnosing Pulmonary Tuberculosis with the Xpert MTB/RIF Test
Published on: April 9, 2012
Portable digital X-ray for TB pre-diagnosis screening in rural communities in Nigeria
B Odume1, E Chukwu1, T Fawole1
1Technical Division, KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria.
Setting:
This pilot project was conducted in hard-to-reach communities of two Niger Delta States in the South-South Region of Nigeria.
Objective:
To assess the usefulness of portable digital X-ray, the Delft-Light Backpack (DLB) for TB active case-finding (ACF) in hard-to-reach Niger Delta communities using the WHO 3B TB screening/diagnosis algorithm.
Design:
DLB X-ray was used to screen all consenting eligible participants during community TB screening out-reaches in all hard-to-reach communities of Akwa Ibom and Cross River States in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Participants with a CAD4TB (computer-aided detection for TB score) ⩾60 had Xpert (sputum) and/or clinical (radiograph) assessment for TB diagnosis. Data from the project were analysed for this study.
Results:
A total of 8,230 participants (males: 47.2%, females: 52.8%) underwent TB screening and 1,140 (13.9%) presumptive TB cases were identified. The TB prevalence among all participants and among those with presumptive TB were respectively 1.2% and 8.6%. The number needed to screen was 84. Among people with presumptive TB, the proportion of males and females with confirmed TB was respectively 12.0% and 5.6% (P < 0.001).
Conclusion:
TB screening using DLB X-ray during community-based ACF in hard-to-reach Niger Delta communities of Nigeria showed a high TB prevalence among participants. Nationwide deployment of the instrument in hard-to-reach areas is recommended.
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