BACKGROUND Malnutrition and tuberculosis (TB) tend to interact with each other. TB may lead to nutrition deficiencies that will conversely delay recovery by depressing immune functions. Nutrition support can promote recovery in the subject being treated for TB. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of nutrition support on promoting the recovery of adult pulmonary TB patients w...

Polycarbonate membrane filters were used to concentrate 916 sputum specimens for detecting acid-fast bacilli by microscopic examination. These results were compared with those of smears prepared from centrifugates and direct smears of the same specimens. Culture isolation, the control procedure, demonstrated the presence of acid-fast bacilli in 76 specimens. The number of positive specimens det...

were negative, thus excluding the above conditions. The Wassermann reaction was negative. Repeated examination of sputum (direct smears, antiformin method and guinea-pig inoculation) showed absence of R. tuberculosis. The fever and cough continued for one month while symptomatic treatment was given. On 22nd June, 1934, the patient complained of severe dyspnoca, incessant cough with a large amou...

Introduction and Aim: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health concern with its high incidence mortality. In developing countries, smear microscopy continues to be the primary diagnostic tool for diagnosis of TB. Sputum samples processing under resource-limited settings could hazardous, which urges safe efficient techniques. This study aimed evaluate efficacy two different pot methods: P...

Microscopy of direct smears for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) is the most commonly used method for diagnosis of tuberculosis. However, direct microscopy of sputum, though rapid, has low sensitivity and there is a need for improved methods. Sputum samples were collected from patients attending the Union Tuberculosis Institute, Yangon. The microscopy of smears made directly from sputum were compared wi...

We evaluated diagnostic yield of third sputum smear in patients co infected with HIV for detection of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Among 139 pulmonary tuberculosis cases confirmed with positive sputum culture, diagnostic yield of first smear of sputum with acid fast staining was 81.9%. Incremental yield of 2(nd) and 3(rd) samples was 11.7% and 6.3% respectively. So two sputum smears may be enou...

STUDY OBJECTIVE To determine if screening by specialists could reduce unnecessary test ordering and reduce costs related to diagnostic workup in patients undergoing evaluation for tuberculosis. DESIGN Prospective evaluation of expert opinion in consecutive patients suspected of having tuberculosis. SETTING A large municipal hospital. PATIENTS Patients for whom sputum acid-fast smears were...

BACKGROUND Diagnosis of smear negative pulmonary tuberculosis (SNPTB) is challenging, especially in patients with HIV. The Botswana National Tuberculosis Program (BNTP) guidelines give guidance in diagnosing and treating SNPTB. Patients with chronic cough should be screened for TB by 3 sputum smear investigations. If negative, a chest x-ray (CXR) should be performed. If negative for TB, antimic...

OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy of the nucleic acid amplification (NAA) technique for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) complex from archival fine needle aspirate (FNA) smear scrapings of confirmed cases of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) for a retrospective diagnosis of EPTB as compared to NAA from fresh FNA material from the same cases. STUDY DESIGN Smear scrapings from 51 cases; 33 case...