title: Critical use of nucleic acid amplification techniques to test for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in respiratory tract samples.
abstract: The usefulness of employing Belgian selection criteria before performing nucleic acid amplification techniques (NAT) was evaluated. The results of this study show that for smear-negative patients with an abnormal chest radiology result in the absence of a respiratory tract infection by bacterial pathogens, testing with NAT is of major benefit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Sint-Pieter University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium. Sigi_VandenWijngaert@StPierre-bru.be
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van den Wijngaert
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dediste
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: VanLaethem
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gerard
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vandenberg
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zissis
mesh_terms: D001530:Belgium; D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D018579:Patient Selection; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000382:microbiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging