title: Better patient instruction for sputum sampling can improve microscopic tuberculosis diagnosis.
abstract: To examine the effect of patient instruction for provision of sputum samples, we performed a randomised controlled trial involving 174 patients with suspected tuberculosis (TB) in an urban TB clinic in Indonesia. TB was diagnosed in 50.6% of patients who received additional counselling by paramedics compared with 35.5% of patients in the control group following routine diagnostic procedure, corresponding to a 15.1% higher detection rate (95%CI 2.9-27.4). Significant differences were also found for sputum volume, consistency, positivity rate and density of acid-fast bacilli. Simple interventions such as these may increase TB case detection in Indonesia and elsewhere.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Padjadjaran University, Bandung, Indonesia.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Alisjahbana
authors: R
authors: R
authors: van Crevel
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Danusantoso
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Gartinah
authors: E S
authors: ES
authors: Soemantri
authors: R H H
authors: RH
authors: Nelwan
authors: J W M
authors: JW
authors: van der Meer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis*