Journal of Tropical Medicine (Jan 2009)

Front-Loading Sputum Microscopy Services: An Opportunity to Optimise Smear-Based Case Detection of Tuberculosis in High Prevalence Countries

  • Andy Ramsay,
  • Mohammed Ahmed Yassin,
  • Alexis Cambanis,
  • Susumu Hirao,
  • Ahmad Almotawa,
  • Mohamed Gammo,
  • Lovett Lawson,
  • Izabel Arbide,
  • Nasher Al-Aghbari,
  • Najla Al-Sonboli,
  • Jeevan Bahadur Sherchand,
  • Punita Gauchan,
  • Luis Eduardo Cuevas

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1155/2009/398767
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2009

Abstract

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Setting. Ethiopia, Nepal, Nigeria, and Yemen. Objective. To reduce the time to complete sputum microscopy. Design. Cross-sectional surveys enrolling 923 patients with chronic cough in the 4 countries and using similar protocols. Spot-morning-spot sputum specimens were collected. An additional sputum specimen (Xspot) was collected one hour after the first, and the yields of the first two or the three specimens collected as spot-morning-spot or spot-Xspot-morning were compared. Results. 216 patients had ≥ one positive smear. 210 (97%) were identified by the spot-morning-spot, and 210 (97%) were identified by the spot-Xspot-morning specimens, with 203 and 200 identified by the first 2 specimens of each approach, respectively. Neither difference was significant. Conclusions. The time to complete smear microscopy could be reduced.