title: Sputum induction to improve the diagnostic yield in patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the utility of sputum induction in the large-scale tuberculosis control program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study on sputum induction for improving the diagnostic yield of pulmonary tuberculosis, and estimation of the direct costs for sputum induction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1,648 tuberculosis suspects with poor or absent sputum production, induced sputum was smear-positive in 558 patients (353 previously smear-negative, 97 inadequate sputum and 108 unproductive). The direct cost per induced sputum was US $0.37.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sputum induction is an effective, low-cost, and simple technique for improving the smear-positive case detection rate in a tuberculosis control program.
authors.affiliation: Hunan Provincial Anti-Tuberculosis Institute of China.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: L Q
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: R Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Y F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.forename: T I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Niu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000191:economics; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*