5.2.1
Sputum collection
National TB Management Guidelines, 2018 Edition. Chapter 5, Paediatric TB.
Clinical description
- TB in children is usually sputum smear-negative since they often have very little MTB
in their lungs
- Sputum in younger children with TB contains few TB bacilli, but this is not true for
older children (> 8 years of age).
- The sputum smear (and sputum for GeneXpert MTB/RIF or TB culture, where available)
remains a valuable test to perform in any child who can produce a sputum specimen.
- In children who are unable to expectorate spontaneously, obtaining an aspirate of
gastric fluid is a reasonable approach to diagnosis.
- Gastric aspirates can be safely performed in hospitals after a 3-hour fast or early in the
morning after an overnight fast.
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