A technically simple method for staining of acid-fast bacilli in cytology smears: an evaluation.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of modifications in the Ziehl-Neelsen staining procedure on predictive accuracy for acid fast bacilli in comparison to the conventional technique. Simplicity of procedure and reagent economy were the factors taken into consideration.


METHODS
Comparative evaluation between thick and thin air-dried smears stained conventionally and thick ethanol-fixed smears stained by the modified technique was done.


RESULTS
Positive predictive accuracy of all the three smears, that is, thick air-dried, thin air-dried and thick ethanol-fixed, was 100%. Negative predictive accuracy for thick air-dried, thin air-dried and thick ethanol-fixed smears was 36.36%, 32.33% and 34.78%, respectively. Overall predictive accuracy was 66.67% for thick air-dried, 61.90% for thin air-dried and 64.29% for thick ethanol-fixed. These differences were found to be statistically insignificant.


CONCLUSIONS
The modified method offers an accuracy comparable to the conventional technique, is simpler and with improved reagent economy. It is of special importance to diagnostic facilities in rural set-ups.
Chaturvedi
Sujata
S
Department of Pathology , Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, Delhi, India. cvsujata@hotmail.com
Raheja
Preety
P
Thakur
Rajeev
R
Singh
Navjeevan
N
Arora
Vinod K
VK
Suri
Vaishali
V
Bhatia
Arati
A
D000388:Air; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D000431:Ethanol; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012423:Rural Health; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D013492:Suppuration / Q000382:microbiology; D014388:Tuberculosis, Lymph Node / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*
D000431:Ethanol