title: Implementation of the thin layer agar method for diagnosis of smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis in a setting with a high prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus infection in Homa Bay, Kenya.
abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a low-cost method, the thin layer agar (TLA) method, for the diagnosis of smear-negative patients. This prospective study was performed in Homa Bay District Hospital in Kenya. Out of 1,584 smear-negative sputum samples, 212 (13.5%) were positive by culture in Löwenstein-Jensen medium (LJ) and 220 (14%) were positive by the TLA method. The sensitivities of LJ and TLA were 71% and 74%, respectively. TLA could become an affordable method for the diagnosis of smear-negative tuberculosis in resource-limited settings, with results available within 2 weeks.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium. amartin@itg.be
authors.forename: Anandi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Munga Waweru
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Babu Okatch
authors.forename: Naureen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Amondi Ouma
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonte
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Varaine
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Portaels
mesh_terms: D000362:Agar; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D000362:Agar