title: Use of mycobacterial smears in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in AIDS/ARC patients.
abstract: Pulmonary tuberculosis in AIDS/ARC patients is an increasing problem. To assess the utility of acid-fast smears of pulmonary secretions in this patient population, we evaluated 38 AIDS/ARC patients with culture-positive pulmonary infection. A control group consisted of 57 non-AIDS/ARC patients, who also did not belong to an AIDS risk group, diagnosed during the same period. The number of culture-positive sputum samples evaluated per patient was similar in both groups (3.82 +/- 3.11 AIDS/ARC vs 4.47 +/- 2.83 control group). Significantly fewer AIDS/ARC patients, 45 percent, however, had a positive acid-fast smear compared with the control group, 81 percent (p less than 0.001). The initial sputum smear submitted was positive in only 29 percent of the AIDS/ARC group compared with 61 percent of control subjects (p less than 0.01). Further, greater than or equal to 5 negative smears were found in 60 percent of the evaluable AIDS/ARC patients compared with just 13 percent of control subjects (p less than 0.01). More extensive findings on chest roentgenograms were not associated with a significantly higher yield of smear positivity in the AIDS/ARC group. We conclude that acid-fast smears on sputum specimens are a relatively insensitive test for pulmonary tuberculosis in AIDS/ARC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Duncanson
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lenox
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pitta
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Wormser
mesh_terms: D000386:AIDS-Related Complex / Q000150:complications*; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*