title: Impact of the human immunodeficiency virus epidemic on detection of Mycobacterium isolates in a general hospital.
abstract: The number of human samples processed in our mycobacteriology laboratory ranged from 148 per 1,000 admissions in 1988 to 263 per 1,000 admissions in 1995 (5.2% were positive). The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive population contributed 33.3% of all samples, 43.3% of all isolates, and 36% of all new patients. Given that the ratios of the total number of samples to the number of Mycobacterium-positive samples were 18.3:1 in HIV-positive patients and 28:1 in HIV-negative patients, efforts to reduce the laboratory workload should begin with the HIV-negative population.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain. ebouza@bitmailer.net
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bouza
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Albadalejo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cercenado
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ruiz Serrano
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vicente
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ortega
mesh_terms: D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015497:HIV-1; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology