Smear examination of two specimens for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in Tiruvallur District, south India.
METHODS
A general hospital and three peripheral health institutions (PHI) in Tiruvallur District, south India.


OBJECTIVE
To validate the case detection strategy for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis by smear microscopy of two sputum specimens versus three.


METHODS
In the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), three smears from every symptomatic patient attending the PHI were examined for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) by Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) microscopy. The data from the Tuberculosis Laboratory Registers from the above centres were analysed.


RESULTS
Of 7843 chest symptomatics who had provided three sputum specimens for examination, 895 (11.4%) were smear-positive on at least two specimens. Examination of two specimens--first spot and early morning specimens (837, 93.5%) or early morning and second spot specimens (843, 94.2%)--yielded the highest number of cases.


CONCLUSIONS
The examination of two sputum smears (one spot and an early morning) is as effective as examination of three smears.
Gopi
P G
PG
Tuberculosis Research Centre, Chetput, Chennai, India.
Subramani
R
R
Selvakumar
N
N
Santha
T
T
Eusuff
S I
SI
Narayanan
P R
PR
D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008853:Microscopy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013183:Sputum / Q000166:cytology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis*