title: Reliability of cord formation in BACTEC media for presumptive identification of mycobacteria.
abstract: We evaluated cord formation in BACTEC media as a criterion for presumptive identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Auramine-rhodamine smears from 673 radiometrically positive BACTEC vials were examined. The presence of cording had a sensitivity, a specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 22.9, 98.5, 82.9, and 80.3%, respectively. Before cord formation is used to report presumptive identification of M. tuberculosis complex, workers should determine the reliability of this finding in their own laboratories.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Reller
mesh_terms: D003311:Cord Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003470:Culture Media; D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003311:Cord Factors; D003470:Culture Media