Hospital management of tuberculosis in a region with a low incidence of tuberculosis and a high prevalence of nontuberculous mycobacteria

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2001 Nov;22(11):715-7. doi: 10.1086/501851.

Abstract

We prospectively assessed the management of patients with suspected tuberculosis (TB) in an area with a high prevalence of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and a low incidence of TB. Clinicians' assessments were sensitive for TB but had poor predictive value. The acid-fast smear was a weak predictor of TB, owing to a high rate of isolation of NTM.

MeSH terms

  • Clinical Competence
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Hospitalization
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Inpatients / statistics & numerical data*
  • Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / diagnosis*
  • Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / drug therapy
  • Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / epidemiology*
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / isolation & purification
  • Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / isolation & purification
  • Outpatients / statistics & numerical data*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / diagnosis*
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / drug therapy
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / epidemiology*
  • United States / epidemiology