A one-day method for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in rural Ethiopia. |
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| Authors: | A Cambanis M A Yassin A Ramsay S B Squire I Arbide L E Cuevas |
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| Affiliation: | St Elizabeth General Hospital, Shisong, Kumbo, Northwest Province, Cameroon. |
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| Abstract: | Smear diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) requires three sputum examinations over 2 days. We evaluated the performance of two sputum specimens obtained on a single day (the second specimen submitted 1 h after the first) against the standard 2-day method in rural Ethiopia. A total of 243 suspects were enrolled; 52 had confirmed PTB: 49 (94%) were detected by the same-day method and 51 (98%) by the standard method (P > 0.5). The same-day approach would reduce the number of visits required for diagnosis, save resources for the health system and the patient, and ultimately improve case detection in poorer countries. |
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