Table 3.
Nucleic Acid Amplification Test Result Turnaround Time by Specimen Type, US National Tuberculosis Surveillance System, 2011–2017 (N=34774)
| Characteristic | <6-day TAT, No. | <6-day TAT, % | ≥6-day TAT, No. | ≥6-day TAT, % | Unadjusted OR ≥6 day vs <6-day TAT | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specimen type | ||||||
| Nonsputuma | 4051 | 18.7% | 4410 | 36.2% | … | … |
| Sputum | 17662 | 81.3% | 7771 | 63.8% | 0.40 | .38–.43 |
| AFB smear | ||||||
| Negativea | 5778 | 26.6% | 4853 | 39.2% | … | … |
| Positive | 15955 | 72.4% | 7525 | 60.8% | 0.56 | .54–.59 |
| Culture | ||||||
| Negativea | 2810 | 12.8% | 1495 | 12.0% | … | … |
| Positive | 19094 | 87.2% | 10973 | 88.0% | 1.08 | 1.01–1.16 |
Denominators for each percentage exclude missing data points for that variable.
Abbreviations: AFB, acid-fast bacilli; CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio; TAT, turnaround time.
Reference group used for OR calculations.