Evaluating the Accuracy of the Current Tuberculosis Scoring System in Screening Suspected Cases: A Quality Improvement Project (original) (raw)

Background Early identification and isolation of suspected Tuberculosis (TB) cases are crucial for reducing the risk of transmission to healthcare workers and other patients. The current TB scoring system, with a cutoff point of 4, has been widely used but lacks specificity. This quality improvement project aims to evaluate the accuracy of the current TB scoring system in screening suspected cases and explore the potential for improving the system's performance. Methods A retrospective analysis of 309 male patients presenting with respiratory symptoms was conducted at Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital. The sensitivity and specificity of various TB scoring cutoff points were assessed using a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve. Additionally, the potential benefits of incorporating symptom duration into the scoring system were explored. Results The current TB scoring system, with a cutoff point of 4, demonstrated a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 53%. By increasing...