OpiniãoThe GDG considered data on using mWRDs for screening children and adolescent outpatients accessing health care. They felt that the data, which included 2 studies with 787 participants and had results demonstrating substantial heterogeneity, represented insufficient evidence to establish an accurate and reliable estimate of the diagnostic accuracy of mWRDs, and, thus, the GDG decided not to issue a recommendation for or against their use as a screening tool for children and adolescents. This highlights as a research priority the need for more rigorous studies evaluating the use of mWRDs for screening children and adolescents.
Also highlighted is the urgent overall need for more research and the development of better screening tools and approaches for use in this population, including more data on screening approaches that target specific and distinct age ranges including infants younger than 12 months, children younger than 5 years, children up to the age of 10 years and those aged 10–19 years. More data are needed to determine the frequency with which screening should be conducted among the subpopulations of children at highest risk of TB, and further research is needed from well-designed clinical trials to provide evidence on patient-important outcomes for TB screening in children.