Impact of Laboratory Practice Changes on the Diagnosis of Tuberculosis with the Introduction of Xpert MTB/RIF in Kiribati
The Republic of Kiribati, Central Pacific, has the largest tuberculosis epidemic in the region
Abstract
The Republic of Kiribati, Central Pacific, has the largest tuberculosis epidemic in the region. There is a national tuberculosis control program, which has used smear microscopy for acid-fast bacilli as the main diagnostic tool for many years. In 2015, an Xpert MTB/RIF machine was procured and became functional within the tuberculosis hospital. The aim of this cross-sectional study, using routinely collected data, was to determine the effects of introducing Xpert MTB/ RIF on laboratory smear microscopy practices and the pattern of registered tuberculosis cases.
This research was supported by the UK Department for International Development’s Operational Research Capacity Building Programme led by the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease (The Union)
Citation
Tonganibeia A, Harries AD, Merilles OEA, Tarataake T, Tiira T, Kienene T. Impact of Laboratory Practice Changes on the Diagnosis of Tuberculosis with the Introduction of Xpert MTB/RIF in Kiribati. Hawai’i Journal of Medicine & Public Health. 2018;77(2):30–4.