Washing of new microscopic glass slides in dichromate solution does not influence sputum AFB smear results.
METHODS
Microscopy centres in Tiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu, India, implementing DOTS.


OBJECTIVE
To know whether washing new glass slides in dichromate solution is essential for effective sputum acid-fast bacilli microscopy.


METHODS
Two direct smears were prepared from each of 1750 sputum samples. One was made on dichromate solution-cleaned new glass slides and the other was made on unwashed new glass slides. The smears were blinded and examined.


RESULTS
Of the 1750 specimens, 13.5% and 13.08% were positive for AFB using washed and unwashed slides, respectively (P = 0.12). The concordance between these two (including one grade above and one below) was 98.7%.


CONCLUSIONS
Washing of new glass slides in dichromate solution is not essential for AFB microscopy.
Selvakumar
N
N
Tuberculosis Research Centre (ICMR), Chennai, India. modeldots@vsnl.com
Prabhakaran
E
E
Rehman
F
F
Frieden
T R
TR
Santha
T
T
D002424:Caustics; D023801:Directly Observed Therapy; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008853:Microscopy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011192:Potassium Dichromate; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*
D002424:Caustics; D011192:Potassium Dichromate