American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Oct 2017
Randomized Controlled TrialImpact of Point-of-care Xpert MTB/RIF on Tuberculosis Treatment Initiation: A Cluster Randomised Trial.
Point-of-care (POC) diagnostics have the potential to reduce pretreatment loss to follow-up and delays to initiation of appropriate tuberculosis (TB) treatment. ⋯ POC positioning of the Xpert test led to more rapid initiation of appropriate TB treatment. Achieving one-stop diagnosis and treatment for all people with TB will require simpler, more sensitive diagnostics and broader strengthening of health systems. Clinical trial registered with www.isrctn.com (ISRCTN 18642314) and www.sanctr.gov.za (DOH-27-0711-3568).