Comparison of Light-Emitting Diode Fluorescent Microscopy Against Bright-Field Microscopy and JD-TB-Antigen Test for the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis (original) (raw)

2017, American Journal of Internal Medicine

Bright field microscopy using Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) stained smear has been the major diagnostic technique for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis and treatment initiation in resource limited settings. However, it has its own limitation in terms of its sensitivity. Various reports have shown superior sensitivity of light emitting-diode fluorescent microscopy (LED-FM) and comparable specificity to bright field microscopy. The aim of the study was to compare the results of Auramine O-stained sputum smears by LED-FM against Ziehl-Neelsen stained sputum smears and JD-TB-Antigen test using TB culture as a reference test. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Southern Nations and Nationality People Regions (SNNPR) of Ethiopia from September 2013 to November 2014. A total of 248 sputum samples were collected from different Health Centers and Hospitals of the study area, analyzed by LED-FM and ZN stained bright field microscopy. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predict...