title: Performance indicators of fluorescence microscopy for sputum samples in pulmonary tuberculosis.
abstract: To get insight into the sensitivity of fluorescence microscopy for diagnostic and follow-up sputum samples from pulmonary tuberculosis patients in clinical trials, the yield of smear positivity - among culture positive sputum samples - encountered in diagnostic and follow-up samples was retrospectively analyzed from the data available in a mycobacteriology laboratory in India. The sensitivity of fluorescence microscopy for diagnostic and follow-up samples respectively was found to be 94.3% and 60.7%. With these values as guidelines, the performance of fluorescence microscopy in the treatment of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis under DOTS plus program remains to be monitored and studied.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (ICMR), Mayor Sathiyamurthy Road, Chennai 600031, India. Electronic address: selvakumarn@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Selvakumar
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (ICMR), Mayor Sathiyamurthy Road, Chennai 600031, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Syam Sunder
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (ICMR), Mayor Sathiyamurthy Road, Chennai 600031, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gomathi Sekar
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (ICMR), Mayor Sathiyamurthy Road, Chennai 600031, India.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ponnuraja
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (ICMR), Mayor Sathiyamurthy Road, Chennai 600031, India.
authors.forename: Vanaja
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumar
keywords: Fluorescence microscopy; Laboratory indicators; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Smear; Sputum