Cord formation in BACTEC medium is a reliable, rapid method for presumptive identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.
Serpentine cord formation in BACTEC 12B medium was evaluated as a rapid method for the presumptive identification of M. tuberculosis complex. Kinyoun acid-fast stained smears were prepared from 666 positive BACTEC 12B bottles and examined for the presence or absence of serpentine cording. Cord formation had a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 89.2, 99.2, 98.5, and 94.2%, respectively. The evaluation of the presence of cord formation in BACTEC 12B medium is reliable and permits the rapid presumptive reporting of M. tuberculosis.
Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut 06102-5037, USA. ymccart@harthosp.org
Y S
YS
McCarter
I N
IN
Ratkiewicz
A
A
Robinson
D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000382:microbiology; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D003470:Culture Media; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014132:Trachea / Q000382:microbiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000382:microbiology
D003470:Culture Media