TABLE 1.
Characteristics and storage time and conditions of stool samples included by age group of participantsa
| Characteristic of stool | All participants | Children | Adults |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per participant analysis | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) |
| No. of participants | 47 | 11 | 36 |
| No. of samples collected per participant, median (range) | 3 (1–4) | 3 (1–4) | 3 (1–3) |
| Median interval between collection of first stool sample and start of TB treatment, days (IQR)b | 0 (−1–1) | −1 (−2–4) | 0 (–1–1) |
| Median interval between collection of the last stool sample and start of TB treatment, days (IQR)b | 2 (1–3) | 2 (0–4) | 2 (1–3) |
| Per stool analysis | |||
| Total no. of stool specimens collected | 132 | 27 | 105 |
| Consistency | |||
| Formed (solid) | 26 (19.7) | 8 (29.6) | 18 (17.1) |
| Semiformed (soft) | 105 (79.6) | 19 (70.4) | 86 (81.9) |
| Taking shape of container (liquid) | 1 (0.8) | 0 (0) | 1 (1.0) |
| Wt (g) of specimen, median (IQR) | 29.5 (22.9–37.7) | 25.6 (17.4–42.4) | 30.7 (24.9–37.5) |
| Where was the specimen collected?c | |||
| On the spot by a nurse | 10 (7.6) | 2 (7.4) | 8 (7.6) |
| On the spot by participant/caregiver | 111 (84.1) | 18 (66.7) | 93 (88.6) |
| At home | 11 (8.3) | 7 (25.9) | 4 (3.8) |
| Median time from collection at home until receipt in local clinic, minutes | 28.4 (19.7–240.3) | 19.7 (19.7–135.4) | 195.5 (83–264.3) |
| How was the specimen stored in the clinic? | |||
| At ambient temp | 50 (37.9) | 6 (22.2) | 44 (41.9) |
| In the refrigerator | 82 (62.1) | 21 (77.8) | 61 (58.1) |
| Mean storage temp, °C (SD)c | 4.4 (0.9) | 5.0 (1.1) | 4.1 (0.6) |
| Median duration of storage until transportation to NTRL (hours) | 3.5 (1.1–23.9) | 3.1 (1.2–22.9) | 3.7 (1.1–24.0) |
| If stored at ambient temp | 1.1 (0.4–3.7)b | 1.7 (0–3.1) | 1.1 (0.4–4.1) |
| If stored in refrigerator | 10.1 (2.1–26.0)b | 3.9 (2.0–25.2) | 19.0 (2.3–26.5) |
| Median temp of specimen during transport to NTRL, °C (SD)c | 5 (5–6) | 5 (4–6) | 6 (5–6) |
| Median delay between stool collection and registration for experiments (hours) | 4.8 (2.9–25.0) | 4.6 (1.8–23.5) | 5.2 (3.0–25.0) |
a
IQR, interquartile range; No., number; NTRL, National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory; SD, standard deviation; temp, temperature; Wt, weight.
b
P < 0.001, significantly different.
c
P < 0.05 for difference between age groups.