BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of @entity1907 presents a major challenge as symptoms traditionally associated with @entity378 are extremely common in @entity1 from endemic areas. The natural history of @entity378 in @entity1 shows that progressive disease is associated with symptoms which have a persistent, non-remitting character. The aims of this study were to investigate whether improved symptom definition is possible in a clinical setting, and whether use of these well defined symptoms has improved value in the diagnosis of @entity1907 . METHODS: A prospective, community based study was conducted in two suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa. All @entity1 (<13 years) presenting to the local community clinic with a cough of >2 weeks duration, were referred to the investigator. Parents completed a symptom based questionnaire, whereafter reported symptoms were characterised in a standard fashion. RESULTS: Of the 151 @entity1 enrolled, 21 (15.6%) reported symptoms with a persistent, non-remitting character. @entity378 was diagnosed in 16 (10.5%) @entity1 , all of whom reported these symptom characteristics. A persistent, non-remitting cough was reported in 15/16 (93.8%) @entity1 with @entity378 and in 2/135 (1.5%) @entity1 without @entity378 , indicating a specificity of 98.5% (135/137). Persistent fatigue of recent onset was also sensitive (13/16, 81.3%) and specific (134/135, 99.3%). Persistent @entity221 and/or @entity662 were exclusively reported in @entity1 with @entity378 , but were present in only 4/16 (25.0%) @entity1 with @entity378 . CONCLUSION: The use of well defined symptoms is feasible, even in resource limited settings, and may offer significantly improved value in the diagnosis of @entity1907 .

Well defined symptoms are of value in the diagnosis of XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['children'] @entity662 :: ('MESH:D002637', 'Disease') :: ['chest pain'] @entity378 :: ('MESH:D014376', 'Disease') :: ['Tuberculosis', 'tuberculosis'] @entity221 :: ('MESH:D005334', 'Disease') :: ['fever'] @entity1907 :: ('MESH:D014397', 'Disease') :: ['childhood pulmonary tuberculosis']
@entity1907 :: (MESH:D014397,Disease) :: ['childhood pulmonary tuberculosis']
