Diagnostics

Link Between Sputum Clearance/Culture Positivity Duration

Published in TB and Outbreaks Week, May 6th, 1996

There is a correlation in persons with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection between the clearance of DNA from sputum and the duration of smear and culture positivity, but this correlation does not seem to have clinical significance.

Patients with pulmonary tuberculosis typically undergo smear and culture conversion within three to four months of the start of effective treatment. Earlier research found that 71 percent of treated patients remained positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) after four weeks of treatment compared with 39 percent by acid-fast smear and 32 percent by culture (Yuen et al., J Clin Pathol 1993;46:318-322). Other limited studies have...

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Source: TB and Outbreaks Week (1996-05-06)

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