title: How many sputum culture results do we need to monitor multidrug-resistant-tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients during treatment?
abstract: Discharge of a hospital patient after a single negative sputum culture may save money when treating multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. However, after initial sputum conversion in 336 South Africans, 11.6% and 5.4% reconverted after 1 and 2 months, respectively. These findings endorse the WHO definitions of 2 negative cultures taken ≥ 30 days apart after sputum culture conversion.
authors.affiliation: Center for Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Division of Internal Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Saskia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Padanilam
authors.forename: Rianna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Louw
authors.forename: Russel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mahanyele
authors.forename: Gerrit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coetzee
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hänscheid
authors.forename: Tjalling
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Leenstra
authors.forename: Martin P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Grobusch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents