title: BI of patient vs BI of individual sites.
abstract: An analysis of 200 skin smear results from multibacillary patients showed that the average bacteriological index (BI) of a patient varied considerably from his site-wise highest BI. The average BI was equal to site wise highest BI only in 17.5% of cases and in the rest, it ranged from 99% to as low as 36% of the highest site-wise BI. In follow-up smears, site-wise consistency of the highest BI was found in 96% of cases. It is suggested that for follow-up purposes, repeating smear from only one such site would be adequate.
authors.affiliation: Regional Leprosy Training And Research Institute, Raipur.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Porichha
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Bramhne
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Samal
mesh_terms: D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000382:microbiology*; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology*