Optimising Mycobacterial Culture In Smear-negative, HIV-infected Tuberculosis Cases

Collaborators:   P Naidoo and Z Pininini; Desmond Tutu TB Centre, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa & TB/HIV Cluster, Gauteng Department of Health, South Africa

Mycobacterial culture remains an important complementary tool and optimising its performance has important benefits. In this study, the effect of an increase in the number of specimens evaluated, addition of nutritional supplementation to the culture medium, sputum appearance and volume on diagnostic yield and time to detection of pulmonary TB among smear-negative, HIV-infected adults was investigated.