title: Role of routine bronchial washing culture for TB in Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, Thailand.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the role of routine bronchial washings (BW) culture for diagnostic sputum smear negative pulmonary case of tuberculosis (TB) at Maharat Nahkon Ratchasima Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective, observational study of performed bronchial washing (BW) specimens from 93 patients who met presumptive criteria of smear negative case of pulmonary TB was done. The culture of BW for TB was done by conventional technique. All of the BW specimens were not centrifuged before AFB stain. Pathological reports were included in the study. Statistical analysis was described as percentage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-three patients were included in the presented study. Eighty-seven patients had a diagnosis of smear-negative pulmonary case of TB (93.5%). The un-centrifuged BW smear for AFB was positive in 17 (18.3%) patients while conventional culture of BW for TB was positive in 34 (36.6%) patients. The MDRTB and NTM were positive in one (1.1%) and five (5.4%) patients respectively The positive un-centrifuged BW smear for AFB in the MDRTB and NTM patients were 0 and 2/5 (40%) respectively. The pathological reported granulomatous disease was found in 18 (19.4%) patients. Five (5.4%) patients had all positive of any methods while 45 (48.4%) patients had all negative tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The routine culture BW for TB should be done in every case of presumptive diagnosis of sputum smear negative pulmonary case of TB. Furthermore, it can establish that MDRTB and NTM cannot be identified with only AFB stain.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical, Department of Medicine, Maharat Nakhorn Ratchasima Hospital, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. napat_kheawon@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Nabhathara
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kheawon
authors.forename: Suthanya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chuang-Ngam
authors.forename: Suparat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mitsoongneun
authors.forename: Janisaya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peam-Am
authors.forename: Jarukorn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Visalsawadi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods; D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage / Q000379:methods*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000458:organization & administration; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology