title: A one-day method for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in rural Ethiopia.
abstract: Smear diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) requires three sputum examinations over 2 days. We evaluated the performance of two sputum specimens obtained on a single day (the second specimen submitted 1 h after the first) against the standard 2-day method in rural Ethiopia. A total of 243 suspects were enrolled; 52 had confirmed PTB: 49 (94%) were detected by the same-day method and 51 (98%) by the standard method (P > 0.5). The same-day approach would reduce the number of visits required for diagnosis, save resources for the health system and the patient, and ultimately improve case detection in poorer countries.
authors.affiliation: St Elizabeth General Hospital, Shisong, Kumbo, Northwest Province, Cameroon.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cambanis
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Yassin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramsay
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Squire
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Arbide
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Cuevas
mesh_terms: D005002:Ethiopia; D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology