TABLE 1.
Results of Ziehl-Neelsen staining of sputum smears prepared by USP and direct methods
| Smear method and resulta | No. of smears | Culture resultb (no. of samples)
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Positive | Negative | ||
| USP | |||
| 3+ | 215 | 208 | 7 |
| 2+ | 78 | 75 | 3 |
| 1+ | 33 | 30 | 3 |
| Scantyc | 17 | 9 | 8 |
| Any positive | 343 | 322 | 21 |
| Negative | 228 | 6 | 222 |
| Total | 571 | 328 | 243 |
| Direct | |||
| 3+ | 47 | 46 | 1 |
| 2+ | 70 | 66 | 4 |
| 1+ | 97 | 94 | 3 |
| Scanty | 29 | 19 | 10 |
| Any positive | 243 | 225 | 18 |
| Negative | 328 | 103 | 225 |
| Total | 571 | 328 | 243 |
a
3+, >10 AFB per oil immersion field (OIF) (at least 20 fields); 2+, 2 to 10 AFB per OIF (at least 50 fields); 1+, 1 to 99 AFB in 100 OIF; scanty, 1 to 9 AFB in 100 OIF (40).
b
Using USP, CDC, or modified Petroff method.
c
All were negative by direct smear microscopy.