TABLE 2.
Mean time to detection of all mycobacteria and M. tuberculosis in clinical specimens
| Medium | Mean no. of days (range) to detectiona of:
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mycobacteria |
M. tuberculosis
|
||
| Smear positive | Smear negative | ||
| BACTEC MGIT 960 | 13.2 (6–24) | 12.6 (8–18) | 15.8 (6–24) |
| BACTEC 12B | 16.8 (8–23) | 13.8 (8–23) | 17.7 (9–23) |
| LJ | 36.2 (14–58) | 20.1 (14–27) | 42.2 (18–58) |
a
ANOVA, P <0.001. Newman-Keuls test for differences in mean times to detection of mycobacteria and M. tuberculosis: BACTEC MGIT 960 versus LJ medium, P < 0.001 (significant), BACTEC 12B versus LJ medium, P < 0.001 (significant).