Tuberculosis culture testing at a tertiary care hospital: options for improved management and use for treatment decisions.
METHODS
Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, a tertiary care hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the proportion of patients with positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis cultures and whether those who were positive were on treatment.


METHODS
Tuberculosis (TB) culture results were obtained from the laboratory for a 3-month period. Positive results were checked against registrations at the hospital TB Care Centre (TBCC). The treatment status of non-registered patients was obtained from various records at the hospital, district clinics and from home visits.


RESULTS
Overall, 3909 patients had 5404 samples sent for culture. Of these, 708 patients (18%) had at least one positive culture. The positive yield from 2749 adult sputum samples was 33% and ranged from 6% to 40% for different extra-pulmonary specimens. Among 1160 children, the yield varied from 0% to 12%, with 12% in sputum and gastric washing specimens. Of the 708 culture-positive patients, 429 (61%) patients were registered at the TBCC and were known to have started TB treatment. Of the 279 subjects not registered (39% overall), 100 (36%) died. Only 67 of the 179 survivors were confirmed on treatment, 40 were not on treatment and 72 could not be traced.


CONCLUSIONS
Large numbers of TB culture tests were performed, some inappropriately. Study findings highlight inadequacies in the management of culture-confirmed TB at this hospital.
Edginton
M E
ME
School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. maryhodkinson@gmail.com
Rakgokong
L
L
Verver
S
S
Madhi
S A
SA
Koornhof
H J
HJ
Wong
M L
ML
Hodkinson
H J
HJ
D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D005750:Gastric Juice / Q000382:microbiology; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013019:South Africa; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*
D000995:Antitubercular Agents