New WHO guidelines on systematic screening for tuberculosis
Director of Professional Practice Mr Stewart Whitley reports on new guidelines on the use of chest radiography for TB screening and on the use of computer-aided detection (CAD) software packages to automate the interpretation of digital chest radiography images and produce a numerical score indicating the likelihood of TB.
New WHO guidelines on systematic screening for tuberculosis
Dr María del Rosario PEREZ, Scientist, Radiation and Health Unit, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) has recently forwarded thus important announcement which will be of interest to all radiographers and radiological technologists involved in the fight against TB.
‘I wish to inform that WHO has just finalized the update of the guidelines on systematic screening for tuberculosis https://www.who.int/news/item/07-12-2020-who-announces-forthcoming-updat... and you can a rapid communication issued on 7th December https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/337372/9789240016552-en... announcing a number of updates to its forthcoming guidance.
The new guidelines include recommendations on the use of chest radiography for TB screening and also on the use of computer-aided detection (CAD) software packages to automate the interpretation of digital chest radiography images and produce a numerical score indicating the likelihood of TB. The new guidelines also provide recommendations on the use of PCR and molecular WHO-approved rapid diagnostic tests for TB in vitro diagnosis. WHO is working to help health authorities, national TB programmes, healthcare providers, funders and other stakeholders to prepare for the changes that will be introduced when the new guidelines are released in early 2021.’
WHO HQ – Geneva, Switzerland