Quantiferon Gold Test for Detecting TB Infection in HIV/AIDS Patients in South Africa
Quantiferon Gold Test for Detecting TB Infection in HIV/AIDS Patients in South Africa
The purpose of this study is to use a cluster randomized trial to compare the effectiveness of linking the Quantiferon-gold in-tube test (QGIT) with routine CD4 testing to the routine use of the tuberculin skin test (TST), the current standard of care for diagnosing latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in South Africa. The investigators hypothesize that QGIT clinics will identify LTBI and initiate isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) in a higher proportion of patients and in a significantly faster timeframe. The cost-effectiveness of linking QGIT with routine CD4 compared to routine TST will also be evaluated, and the process of implementation of QGIT into the routine cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) blood draw will be evaluated using a mixed method approach to identify steps that can be modified for future scale-up of the intervention.
The investigators propose a cluster randomized trial in 16 HIV clinics in South Africa to compare time to determine LTBI status in patients in clinics using QGIT and TST and those with TST only. The investigators will take advantage of the excellent HIV services provided in South Africa and link QGIT with CD4 blood collection and provide the first evidence of an operational comparison between QGIT and TST in HIV-infected patients in a country that accounts for one-third of the HIV-related TB in the world. The QGIT study will contribute to the understanding of QGIT performance and implementation in HIV-infected individuals. Careful evaluation of the implementation and operational aspects of the program will provide useful knowledge for future scale-up in this and other HIV clinic settings.
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