Updated Recommendation
A new evidence synthesis was published:2025, WHO consolidated guidelines on tuberculosis: module 3: diagnosis
View latest version (2025)Bibliographic Info
Recommendation
Recommended in favor
Conditional
Certainty of evidence
Low
lateral flow urine lipoarabinomannan assay (LF-LAM) may be used to assist in the diagnosis of active TB in adult inpatients living with HIV, with signs and symptoms of TB (pulmonary and/or extrapulmonary), who have a CD4 cell count less than or equal to 100 cells/mm3 or people living with HIV who are seriously ill regardless of CD4 count or with unknown CD4 count
Notes and Remarks
a. This recommendation also applies to HIV positive adult out-patients with signs and symptoms of TB (pulmonary and/or extrapulmonary) who have a CD4 cell count less than or equal to 100 cells/µL, or HIV positive patients who are seriously ill2 regardless of CD4 count or with unknown CD4 count, based on the generalisation of data from in-patients. b. This recommendation also applies to HIV positive children with signs and symptoms of TB (pulmonary and/or extrapulmonary) based on the generalisation of data from adults while acknowledging very limited data and concern regarding low specificity of the LF-LAM assay in children.
Also Featured In
This recommendation also appears in the following guidelines:
Consolidated guidelines on the use of antiretroviral drugs for treating and preventing HIV infection: recommendations for a public health approach