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. 2015 Nov 3;6:1184. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01184

Table 1.

Comparison of sensitivity, contamination rate, time to detection, or isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, advantages and limitations for different culture media or systems.

Medium/System Number of studies Sensitivity (%) Contamination rate (%) Time to detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (days) Advantages Limitations
Smear positive and negative Smear positive Smear negative
Range Mean Range Mean Range Mean Range Mean Range Mean
Lowenstein–Jensen 62 35.7–98.2 74 0.6–22.1 7.27 11–38 25.5 14–30 25 23–42.2 29.4

  • Low cost

  • Characteristic appearance of colonies

  • Slow

  • High contamination rate

  • Dependence in the compounds (egg) quality

  • Long and hard preparation method

  • Short term conservation
Bactec MGIT 960 35 71.1–100 89.4 0.3–23.8 9.3 5–32.8 12.8 7–15.3 11.25 13.4–22.4 16.6

  • Fast

  • High sensitivity

  • Automated reading

  • High throughput capacity

  • High cost

  • High hazard risk (centrifugation)

  • High contamination rate

  • Technical expertise

  • Frequent machine maintainance
Bactec 460 TB 24 78.8–100 92.6 0–11.7 4 11.7–18.5 14.4 8–13.8 11.3 16–21.3 18.9

  • Fast

  • High sensitivity

  • High cost

  • High hazard risk (centrifugation)

  • Radioactive waste

  • Technical expertise
MB/BacT 14 80–100 91.6 1.8–10.2 5.9 13.8–20.1 16.6 11.3–15.1 12.5 19.6–26.7 21.6

  • High sensitivity

  • Automated reading

  • High throughput capacity

  • High cost

  • High hazard risk (centrifugation)

  • High contamination rate

  • No further advantages than other automated systems (Bactec)

  • Technical expertise

  • Frequent machine maintainance
MB Redox 7 72.3–95 84 2.1–8.6 3.6 16–23.6 18.7 6.9–15.9 12.5 15.5–23.8 20.9

  • Easy read of results (color indicator)

  • High cost

  • High hazard risk (centrifugation)
TLA 7 67.9–92.6 81.2 1–26 10.1 10.9–14.5 12.8 8.9–10.1 9.8 14.6–20.7 17.5

  • Low cost

  • Characteristic appearance of colonies

  • Use of microscopic tools

  • Low sensitivity

  • High contamination rate

  • Cumbersome
MGIT manual 7 63.6–94.4 84.7 1.5–29.3 9.5 10–17.5 13.7 7.2–8 7.6 15–19.1 17

  • Fast

  • High cost

  • High contamination rate

  • High hazard risk (centrifugation)
Bactec 9000 3 92.8–100 96.4 7 13.2–26.6 19.9

  • Fast

  • High sensitivity

  • Automated reading

  • High cost

  • High contamination rate
Versa TREK/ESP II 2 73.8–84.8 79.3 4.2–18.9 11.5 18.7–19.8 19.3 15.1 15.1

  • Automated reading

  • High throughput capacity

  • High cost

  • High contamination rate

  • No further advantages than other automated systems (Bactec)

  • Frequent machine maintainance

  • Cumbersome
MODS 8 66–96 87.6 0.6–7 3.35 7–24 10.9

  • Fast

  • Low cost

  • High sensitivity

  • Use of microscopic tools

  • High hazard risk (centrifugation)

  • Cumbersome
TK/DioTK 6 73.7–96.3 85 0.5–3.8 2 9.6–16 13.4

  • Easy read of results (color indicator)

  • Under evaluation
Middlebrook 7H11 3 53.4-87.7 67.3 2.7-11 6.85 19.2–31.1 25.1 16.5–17.6 17 21.6–22.3 22

  • Low cost

  • Slow

  • Low sensitivity

  • High contamination rate
Coletsos 2 69.9–75.1 72.5 7–16.1 11.5 22.7–26.2 24.5

  • Low cost

  • Characteristic appearance of colonies

  • Slow

  • High contamination rate

  • Dependence in the compounds (egg) quality

  • Long and hard preparation method

  • Short term conservation
Bio FM 1 92.3 1.8 12.4

  • Easy read of results (color indicator)

  • High cost

  • High hazard risk (centrifugation)
MOD9 2 95–95.8 95.4 1.6–1.7 1.6 10.1–10.5 10.3 6.5–6.8 6.6 12.8–13.4

  • Faster medium

  • Low cost

  • High sensitivity

  • Characteristic appearance of colonies

  • Under evaluation
MOD9/Advencis 1 81.2 4 3.4

  • Faster system

  • High sensitivity

  • Characteristic appearance of colonies

  • Automated reading

  • High cost

  • Under evaluation