Table 2. AFB smear result with respect to the number of M. tuberculosis culture positive specimens from three consecutive days sputum samples.
| No. of culture positive specimens | No. of patients (%) that were: | ||
| Eithera | Smear Positiveb | Smear negative | |
| (n = 413) | (n = 334) | (n = 79) | |
| 0 | 7 (2) | 7 (2) | 0 (0) |
| 1 | 46 (11) | 25 (8) | 21 (27) |
| 2 | 72 (17) | 44 (13) | 28 (35) |
| 3 | 288 (70) | 258 (77) | 30 (38) |
a
Total number of AFB smear positive and negative specimens.
b
At least one sequential specimen of the patients was AFB smear positive.