Tuberc Respir Dis.  1974 Mar;21(1):36-41. 10.4046/trd.1974.21.1.36.

Comparison of Concentration Smear and Culture for Tubercle Bacilli

• KMID: 2529031
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1974.21.1.36

Abstract

29.241 specimens of sputum were concomitantly made concentration smears and done cultures for M. tuberculosis at Inchon Red Cross Sanatorium from 1963 to 1972. 17, 564(60%) specimens showed smear negative and culture negative; 1. 169(4%) specimens were smear negative and culture positive; 8, 901(30. 5%) specimens smear positive and culture positive; 454(1.5%) specimens smear positive and culture negative; and 1. 162 (4%) specimens were contaminated on culture. Among' culture positive specimens, 86-93% (average 88%) showed positive concentration smear, and the remaining 7-14% (average 12%) were read as negative. The so called smear positive and culture negative have increased gradually, reaching 8. 1 % in 1972. Out of 400 cases of concentration smear positive specimens. 68.5% were positive on direct smear, and the remaining 31.5% were read as negative. 2.6% of specimens of Inchon Red Cross Sanatorium arid 6.0% of specimens of Seoul Red Cross Hosptial were contaminated on culture in past ten years, but the rate have decreased to 1. 5% and 3. 9% respectively in 1972.