Bulk staining of smears: no demonstrated risk of bacilli transfer from a positive to a negative smear.
Despite a theoretical risk of transfer of bacilli from a positive to a negative smear, bulk staining is routinely performed in many laboratories. To assess this risk in our laboratory, two smears were made from each sputum specimen and stained with auramine: one smear was stained on a rack and the second using the bulk method. Smears were read blind using a fluorescence microscope. A total of 811 sputum specimens were analysed. No acid-fast bacilli transfer was observed even when staining solution jars had not been renewed for 3 days. Bulk staining is rapid and cheap, and could be used in laboratories with a high workload in low-resource settings.
Affolabi
D
D
Laboratoire de Référence des Mycobactéries, Cotonou, Bénin. affolabi_dissou@yahoo.fr
Odoun
M
M
Sanoussi
C N
CN
Tanimomo-Kledjo
B
B
Saïzonou
D
D
Soumaïla
K
K
Kestens
L
L
Anagonou
S Y
SY
Portaels
F
F
D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis