Keith Edwards score for diagnosis of tuberculosis

Objective : To evaluate the applicability of Keith Edwards scoring system for the diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis.Methods. One hundred and one children aged 2 months to 12 years who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were evaluated with Keith Edwards score. The diagnosis of tuberculosis by Keith Edwards score and the definitive reference were compared.Results. Among the 65 children diagnosed as having tuberculosis by the definitive reference, 59 had a Keith Edwards score of >7. Four children had a score of >7 but were not suffering from tuberculosis. The sensitivity and specificity of this score have been found to be 91% and 88% respectively.Conclusion. In select population with indicative clinical features, Keith Edwards score can be a definitive guideline for the diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis. However, more studies are required for the validation of this clinical score before it can be used as a definitive diagnostic reference standard for tuberculosis.