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Tuberculosis Unseen - Missed Opportunities in Diagnosis
Abstract   Open access   Peer reviewed

Tuberculosis Unseen - Missed Opportunities in Diagnosis

Aaron C. Miller, Linnea A. Polgreen and Philip M. Polgreen
Online journal of public health informatics, Vol.7(1)
02/26/2015
DOI: 10.5210/ojphi.v7i1.5706
PMCID: PMC4512467
url
https://doi.org/10.5210/ojphi.v7i1.5706View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

This study estimates the number of tuberculosis cases that are potentially misdiagnosed as alternative respiratory illnesses in months prior to receiving a correct diagnosis. Inpatient and emergency department records in the state of California, from 2005 to 2011, were analyzed for patients that had an initial tuberculosis diagnosis along with a previous recorded visit. Tuberculosis patients were far more likely to receive a respiratory diagnosis in a window 5 to 90 days prior to their initial tuberculosis diagnosis than were uninfected patients. Findings suggest that more than 20% of tuberculosis cases are potentially missed in inpatient and emergency department settings.

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