The systematic review and meta-analysis investigated whether there was any published evidence supporting the diagnostic value of trial-of-antibiotics. An extensive systematic search across multiple databases yielded over 9000 articles and identified no randomised trial, and only 8 eligible studies demonstrating poor diagnostic performance.
Please use the links below to access the published literature from this stage of the study.
- Systematic review design (registered with PROSPERO).
- Published systematic review protocol: Divala TH, Fielding KL, Nliwasa M, Sloan DJ, Gupta-Wright A, Corbett EL. Sensitivity and specificity of using trial-of-antibiotics versus sputum mycobacteriology for diagnosis of tuberculosis: protocol for a systematic literature review. Systematic reviews 2018; 7(1): 1-5.
- Results of the systematic review and meta-analysis: Divala TH, Fielding KL, Kandulu C, et al. Utility of broad-spectrum antibiotics for diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 2020.