A STUDY ON UTILITY OF CARTRIDGE-BASED NUCLEIC ACID AMPLIFICATION TEST (CBNAAT) IN EARLY DETECTION OF PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS IN SPUTUM NEGATIVE RETROVIRAL POSITIVE PATIENTS

Abstract

Tuberculosis is the most common opportunistic infection amongst people living with HIV. HIV-TB co-infection further increases the mortality of an individual. The clinical presentation of pulmonary tuberculosis depends on the immune status of an individual and an immune-suppressed individual with HIV can present with atypical features, thus posing diagnostic challenges. For the detection of TB using microscopy, the sensitivity is an issue and it is addressed partly by the implementation of CBNAAT in HIV patients for the detection of TB.