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Paper standardizes definitions for pediatric TB
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To unify language as it relates to children with drug-resistant tuberculosis, health officials have released a consensus paper that proposes standardized definitions to be used in research.
“The World Health Organization definitions used for adults with [drug-resistant] TB and for children with drug-susceptible TB are not always appropriate for children with [drug-resistant] TB,” according to the statement, written by lead author James Seddon, MBBS, MA, of the Desmond Tutu TB Centre, and colleagues on The Sentinel Project.
“It is so important that different groups researching this vulnerable population are speaking the same language,” Seddon told Infectious Diseases in Children.
On their website, Sentinel Project officials said the organization was formed in October 2011 to provide a virtual community to promote advocacy, collaboration and research for drug-resistant TB in children.
One area that the project identified was the need for “consistent terminology,” as it relates to pediatric patients with drug-resistant TB, according to the researchers.
“The standard definitions and terminology proposed here will allow improvements in data collection for clinical research and reporting of study findings, thereby facilitating comparison across different settings and populations, as well as promoting a stronger evidence base for policymakers and guideline development,” the researchers concluded.
Disclosure: Seddon reports no relevant financial disclosures.
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