Comparison of patients where TB was suspected in the ED and those where it was not
| TB suspected in ED Frequency (%) | TB not suspected in ED Frequency (%) | χ2 test (p value) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | |||
| Population size | 56 | 98 | – |
| Male | 37 (66%) | 63 (64%) | 0.823 |
| Age (IQR) | 30.5 (16.75) | 36.5 (30.5) | 0.276 (Mann-Whitney) |
| Pulmonary TB | 41 (73%) | 34 (35%) | <0.001 |
| Non-pulmonary TB | 15 (27%) | 64 (65%) | |
| Indian subcontinent | 14 (25%) | 26 (27%) | 0.835 |
| Black African | 19 (34%) | 25 (26%) | 0.266 |
| White | 10 (18%) | 21 (21%) | 0.595 |
| Black Caribbean | 6 (11%) | 6 (6%) | 0.306 |
| Arabic | 5 (9%) | 8 (8%) | 0.870 |
| Other ethnicity | 2 (4%) | 12 (12%) | 0.086 |
| Born outside UK | 47 (84%) | 73 (74%) | 0.174 |
| Previous BCG vaccination | 37 (66%) | 52 (53%) | 0.116 |
| Unemployed | 13 (23%) | 14 (14%) | 0.161 |
| Homelessness | 5 (9%) | 7 (7%) | 0.691 |
| Prison history | 2 (4%) | 6 (6%) | 0.711 |
| Comorbidities | |||
| Current smoker | 12 (21%) | 15 (15%) | 0.336 |
| Recent travel | 14 (25%) | 5 (5%) | <0.001 |
| Previous TB infection | 6 (11%) | 3 (3%) | 0.0734 |
| Known TB contacts | 11 (20%) | 2 (2%) | <0.001 |
| Airways disease | 6 (11%) | 6 (6%) | 0.306 |
| Diabetes (type 1 or 2) | 4 (7%) | 8 (8%) | 1.000 |
| HIV positivity | 3 (5%) | 3 (3%) | 0.6686 |
| Hepatitis B or C positivity | 1 (0%) | 2 (2%) | 1.000 |
| Drug misuse | 5 (9%) | 6 (6%) | 0.515 |
| Alcohol misuse | 5 (9%) | 8 (8%) | 0.870 |
| Immunosuppressive treatment | 0 (0%) | 3 (3%) | 0.5541 |
| Observations | |||
| Tachycardia (<100/min) | 22 (39%) | 31 (32%) | 0.336 |
| Fever (<38°C) | 13 (23%) | 17 (17%) | 0.376 |
| Tachypnoea (>20/min) | 9 (16%) | 11 (11%) | 0.389 |
| Pulse oximetry <95% | 3 (5%) | 5 (5%) | 1.000 |
| Hypotension (SBP<90 mm Hg) | 1 (2%) | 2 (2%) | 1.000 |
| Symptoms | |||
| Cough | 41 (73%) | 21 (21%) | <0.001 |
| Fever | 30 (54%) | 23 (23%) | <0.001 |
| Weight loss | 33 (59%) | 20 (20%) | <0.001 |
| Night sweats | 25 (45%) | 8 (8%) | <0.001 |
| Chest pain | 14 (25%) | 17 (17%) | 0.255 |
| Sputum production | 18 (32%) | 10 (10%) | <0.001 |
| Dyspnoea | 14 (25%) | 14 (14%) | 0.097 |
| Haemoptysis | 7 (13%) | 4 (4%) | 0.0991 |
| Chest radiograph | |||
| Chest radiography performed | 52 (93%) | 65 (66%) | <0.001 |
| Normal radiograph (% of those who had radiography performed) | 11 (21%) | 30 (46%) | 0.138 |
| Abnormal radiograph (% of those who had radiography performed) | 41 (79%) | 35 (54%) | <0.001 |
Bold indicates significant statistics.
ED, emergency department; SBP, systolic blood pressure; TB, tuberculosis.