TABLE 9.
Analysis of the four M. tuberculosis specimens missed by culture when processed with CB-18, as well as four additional specimens from two of these patients
| Patient | Specimen identification | Result by decontamination methoda
|
Mo/day/yr of collection | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NALC/NaOH
|
CB-18
|
|||||||
| Smear | Culture
|
Smear | Culture
|
|||||
| Liquid | Solid | 12B | 7H11 | |||||
| 1 | 571-S1 | 1+ | +/28 | +/42 | 1+ | − | −/Cont | 2/7/96 (initial specimen) |
| 573-S1 | 1+ | +/28 | − | 3+ | − | +/20 | 2/7/96 (initial specimen) | |
| 2 | 512-S3 | 2+ | +/4 | − | 4+ | +/3 | +/12 | 2/8/96 (first specimen) |
| 527-S3 | − | +/24 | − | ± | − | − | 2/17/96 (on therapy) | |
| 538-S3 | − | +/31 | +/33 | 2+ | − | +/49 | 2/27/96 (on therapy) | |
| 541-S3 | − | +/31 | +/33 | 2+ | − | +/20 | 2/27/96 (on therapy) | |
| 3 | 016-S4 | − | +/56 | +/42 | − | −/R | −/Cont | |
| 4 | 089-S5 | − | +/13 | − | ± | − | − | |
a
Smear values were reported as per CDC guidelines (6). Positive MTBC cultures are indicated by + followed by a number (e.g., +/4). This number represents the total time to a culture-positive result by that method (i.e., liquid or solid media) in days. Negative cultures and smears are highlighted with −. Slants lost to contamination are marked with Cont, and liquid cultures subjected to redigestion are marked with R.