Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-21-2008
Publication Title
BMC Public Health
Department
Geisel School of Medicine
Abstract
Background:
In many resource poor settings only sputum microscopy is employed for the diagnosis of HIV-associated pulmonary tuberculosis; sputum culture may not be available.
Methods:
We determined the diagnostic accuracy of sputum microscopy for active case finding of HIV-associated pulmonary tuberculosis using TB culture as the reference standard.
Results:
2216 potential subjects screened for a TB vaccine trial submitted 9454 expectorated sputum specimens: 212 (2.2%) were sputum culture positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), 31 (0.3%) for non-tuberculous mycobacteria, and 79 (0.8%) were contaminated. The overall sensitivity of sputum microscopy was 61.8% (131/212) and specificity 99.7% (9108/9132). Sputum microscopy sensitivity varied from 22.6% in specimens with < 20 colony forming units (CFU)/specimen to 94.2% in patients with > 100 CFU/specimen plus confluent growth. The incremental diagnostic value for sputum microscopy was 92.1%, 1.8% and 7.1% for the first, second and third specimens, respectively. The positive predictive value and negative predictive values for sputum microscopy were 84.5% and 99.1%, respectively. The likelihood ratio (LR) of a positive sputum microscopy was 235.1 (95% CI 155.8 – 354.8), while the LR of a negative test was 0.38 (95CI 0.32 – 0.45). The 212 positive sputum cultures for MTB represented 103 patients; sputum microscopy was positive for 57 (55.3%) of 103 patients.
Conclusion:
Sputum microscopy on 3 expectorated sputum specimens will only detect 55% of culture positive HIV-infected patients in active screening for pulmonary tuberculosis. Sensitivity is higher in patients with greater numbers of CFUs in the sputum. Culture is required for active case finding of HIV- associated pulmonary tuberculosis.
DOI
10.1186/1471-2458-8-68
Original Citation
Matee M, Mtei L, Lounasvaara T, Wieland-Alter W, Waddell R, Lyimo J, Bakari M, Pallangyo K, von Reyn CF. Sputum microscopy for the diagnosis of HIV-associated pulmonary tuberculosis in Tanzania. BMC Public Health. 2008 Feb 21;8:68. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-8-68. PMID: 18289392; PMCID: PMC2265272.
Dartmouth Digital Commons Citation
Matee, Mecky; Mtei, Lillian; Lounasvaara, Tarja; Wieland-Alter, Wendy; Waddell, Richard; Lyimo, Johnson; Bakari, Muhammed; Pallangyo, Kisali; and von Reyn, C Fordham, "Sputum Microscopy for the Diagnosis of HIV-Associated Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Tanzania" (2008). Dartmouth Scholarship. 3283.
https://digitalcommons.dartmouth.edu/facoa/3283
