Dotsenko Y. Latent tuberculosis infection in children: improved diagnostics and case management

Object of research: latent tuberculosis infection (LTI); the purpose is to improve the diagnosis of tuberculosis infection in children and to develop the technology of personalized case management of latent tuberculosis infection; research methods: general clinical, specific intradermal immunological tests, laboratory (including immunological), radiological, statistical; novelty: up-to-date data on the ways of detecting LTI and contacts with patients with tuberculosis (TB) in children at the first level of medical care, that 85.0 % of children at risk are detected in routine tuberculin testing; for the first time epidemiological researches were carried out to study the dynamics of detection of risk groups with LTI and the dependence of these contingents on the reduction of preventive examinations of children was determined; for the first time in Ukraine the effectiveness of the use of an innovative immunological intradermal test with highly specific recombinant proteins (ESAT-6, CFP-10) to diagnose TB infection has been proven; the technology for detection and personalized management of patients with LTI were developed, which allows to reduce by 42.0 % the contingents of dispensary observation, the frequency of visits to the TB institution and, accordingly, the cost of patient management; a model for predicting the risk of active TB in children with LTI is proposed, taking into account anamnestic, clinical predictors and test results with recombinant tuberculosis allergen. Sphere of application – medicine.