Improving tuberculosis preventive therapy uptake: A cluster-randomized trial of symptom-based versus tuberculin skin test–based screening of household tuberculosis contacts less than 5 years of age

Background: Tuberculosis preventive therapy (TPT) is highly effective at preventing tuberculosis disease in household child contacts (<5 years) but is poorly implemented worldwide. In 2006, the World Health Organization recommended symptom-based screening as a replacement for tuberculin skin testing (TST) to simplify contact evaluation and improve implementation. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of this recommendation.

Methods: We conducted a pragmatic, cluster-randomized trial to determine whether contact evaluation using symptom screening improved the proportion of identified child contacts who initiated TPT, compared to TST-based screening, in Matlosana, South Africa. We randomized 16 clinics to either symptom-based or TST-based contact evaluations. Outcome data were abstracted from customized child contact management files.