Table 1.

Comparison of smear microscopy results in laboratory and TB treatment registers among smear-positive pulmonary TB patients during follow-up^*

	Smear results documented in registers during treatment, n
	Diagnosis	Month 2 or 3	Month 5	Month 6 or 8
Smears recorded in laboratory register, n	—	413	293	339
Smears recorded in TB unit register, n	524	414	284	309
Difference, %†	—	0.2	3.2	9.7

^*Three sputum follow-up smears performed at month 4 of treatment, 4 follow-up sputum smears performed at month 6 of treatment and 10 follow-up sputum smears performed at month 7 of treatment were excluded from the analysis.

^†([Number in laboratory register−number in treatment register]/number in treatment register).

TB = tuberculosis.