Table 3.

Incremental yield of stool specimen as compared to an additional pulmonary specimen

	Incremental yield n (%)	95%CI
Patients with tuberculosis (n = 228)
1 sputum smear (yield = 66)
1 stool smear	8 (4)	2–7
1 additional sputum smear	18 (8)	5–12
2 sputum smears (yield = 84)
1 stool smear	6 (3)	1–6
1 additional sputum smear	6 (3)	1–6
1 sputum culture (yield = 162)
1 stool culture	23 (10)	7–15
1 additional sputum culture	29 (13)	9–18
2 sputum cultures (yield = 191)
1 stool culture	11 (5)	3–8
1 additional sputum culture	15 (7)	4–11
Tuberculosis patients with low quality or low volume sputum* (n = 106)
1 sputum smear (yield = 30)
1 stool smear	4 (4)	2–9
1 additional sputum smear	11 (10)	6–18
2 sputum smears (yield = 41)
1 stool smear	2 (2)	0.5–6.6
1 additional sputum smear	0	0–4
1 sputum culture (yield = 71)
1 stool culture	11 (10)	6–18
1 additional sputum culture	14 (13)	8–21
2 sputum cultures (yield = 85)
1 stool culture	7 (7)	3–13
1 additional sputum culture	3 (3)	1–8

^*Volume <3 ml and saliva-like appearance.

CI = confidence interval.