OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB) can be diagnosed from clinical manifestation, laboratory result, chest X-ray and bacteriological result. Diagnosing TB in children was difficult because of non-specific variable clinical profile and laboratory result of the disease. We investigated clinical profile and routine blood test result of children with confirmed pulmonary TB. The objective of the study was to evaluate correlation between clinical profile and routine blood result of children with confirmed pulmonary TB.

METHOD: A cross sectional study was conducted in Dr. Mohammad Hoesin Palembang hospital from July of 2017 to September of 2018. Children less than 18 years of age with presumed pulmonary tuberculosis were included in the study. Clinical profile, routine blood result (hemoglobin, white blood count, and platelet count), ESR, and sputum analyses for AFB were done for all patients. 

RESULT: The subjects in this study were 87 children who presumed TB. During the study period, from bacteriological result, 20 patients were diagnosed as confirmed pulmonary TB.  Chronic cough (p=0.23), decreased of body weights (p=0.27), malaise (p=0.38), night sweats (p=0.70), prolonged fever (p=0.82), no BCG immunization (p=0.24), and TB contact (p=0.00) were the clinical features of the subjects. TB contact (p=0.00) was the most significant clinical feature that found in patients with confirmed TB. We investigated anemia (p=0.82), abnormal leukocytes (p=0,47), abnormal platelets (p=0.18), lymphocytosis (p=0.07) and high ESR level (p=0.40). There was no significant blood routine result between not confirmed TB patients and the confirmed one.
CONCLUSION: In childhood TB, TB contacts are the most significant of clinical features. Because of that, it’s important to explore TB contact of children who presumed TB. This study found there are no significant blood routine result associated with TB. This study reinforces that the diagnosis of childhood TB is based on the constellation of symptom evaluation, contact history, with relevant laboratory investigations.