TABLE 1.
Fluorochrome AFB smear positivity in respiratory specimens yielding mycobacteria on culture
| Organism cultured | No. (%) of specimens
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Culture positive | Smear negative | Smear positive (%) | |
| NTM | |||
| M. avium complex | 776 | 330 | 446 (57.5) |
| Rapidly growing mycobacteria (M. abscessus)a | 300 | 146 | 154 (51.3) |
| M. kansasii | 37 | 8 | 29 (78.4) |
| M. gordonae | 35 | 26 | 9 (25.7) |
| Total | 1,148 | 510 | 638 (55.6) |
| M. tuberculosis complex | |||
| M. tuberculosis | 1,082 | 405 | 677 (62.6) |
a
Five of the 300 isolates belonged to other species (four were M. fortuitum and one was M. chelonae). Two isolates were identified only as M. chelonae-M. abscessus group.