Clinical spectrum of childhood tuberculosis and outcome at Mohammed Alamin Hamid Pediatric Hospital, Omdurman, Sudan.

The World Health Organization report in 2018 estimated 234,000 deaths due to tuberculosis (TB) in children less than 15 years; 40,000 of them occurring in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected children. These deaths represent 15% of all TB deaths. This study aimed to determine the clinical spectrum and outcome of childhood TB at Mohamed Alamin Hamid Pediatric Hospital TB management unit. Retrospective observational hospital-based study was conducted during January 2017-December 2018, in children aged 0-18 years who were diagnosed with TB. A total of 174 patients were enrolled in this study. The majority of patients' ages ranged from 5 to 17 years (111, 63.8%). Most of the patients were males (92, 52.9%) and (142, 81.6%) resided in Khartoum State. Lung opacity and hailer parenchymal shadows were the common presenting features (83, 47.7%) in chest X-ray. Sputum for acid fast bacilli was positive in only 20 (11.5%) patients. Testing for HIV was negative in 41 (23.6%) patients and was not done in 133 (76.4%). A total of 107 (61.5%) children were diagnosed as having pulmonary TB; extra pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) was 67 (38.5%). Tuberculous lymphadenitis was the commonest type of EPTB and was diagnosed in 38 (56.7%) patients. The majority 94 (87.9%) completed their treatment and 13 (12.1%) with smear positive results were cured. Defaulters were 20 (11.5%), and 6 patients (3.4%) were retreated after default, 11 (6.3%) were transferred out, and 14 (8%) are still on treatment. Thirteen patients (7.5%) died, and the outcome of three patients was not documented.