Prolonged positivity of sputum smears with negative cultures during treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis
OBJECTIVE: To assess treatment outcomes and characteristics associated with prolonged smear-positive, culture-negative status.
DESIGN: A retrospective review was performed of all patients seen by the Cuyahoga County TB Program in Cleveland from 2000 to 2009. There were 159 consecutive smear-positive, drug-susceptible PTB cases with sufficient analyzable bacteriologic, clinical and radiographic data for study.
RESULTS: A smear-positive, culture-negative pattern was seen in 51 patients (32.1%) ≥2 months after initiation of treatment. Age ≥46 years and extent of baseline chest X-ray abnormality were both significantly associated with a prolonged smear-positive, culture-negative pattern. No patients were culture-positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis after ≥2 months. There was no increased risk of death in the prolonged smear-positive, culture-negative group, and no confirmed relapses.
CONCLUSION: In our population of patients, in the absence of clinical or radiographic evidence of deterioration, late smear positivity usually has no clinical significance and requires no specific action.
Keywords: acid-fast bacilli; pulmonary tuberculosis; sputum smear; tuberculosis
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: Cuyahoga County Tuberculosis Program, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Case Western Reserve University–MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Publication date: 01 December 2012
The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IJTLD) is for clinical research and epidemiological studies on lung health, including articles on TB, TB-HIV and respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, asthma, COPD, child lung health and the hazards of tobacco and air pollution. Individuals and institutes can subscribe to the IJTLD online or in print – simply email us at [email protected] for details.
The IJTLD is dedicated to understanding lung disease and to the dissemination of knowledge leading to better lung health. To allow us to share scientific research as rapidly as possible, the IJTLD is fast-tracking the publication of certain articles as preprints prior to their publication. Read fast-track articles.
- Editorial Board
- Information for Authors
- Subscribe to this Title
- International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
- Public Health Action
- Ingenta Connect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites
- Access Key
- Free content
- Partial Free content
- New content
- Open access content
- Partial Open access content
- Subscribed content
- Partial Subscribed content
- Free trial content