Incubation time of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex sputum cultures in BACTEC MGIT 960: 4weeks of negative culture is enough for physicians to consider alternative diagnoses

Sam Ogwang; Paul Mubiri; Charles M Bark; Moses L Joloba; W Henry Boom; John L Johnson

doi:10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2015.07.002

Incubation time of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex sputum cultures in BACTEC MGIT 960: 4weeks of negative culture is enough for physicians to consider alternative diagnoses

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2015 Oct;83(2):162-4. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2015.07.002. Epub 2015 Jul 9.

Authors

Sam Ogwang¹, Paul Mubiri², Charles M Bark³, Moses L Joloba⁴, W Henry Boom⁵, John L Johnson⁵

Affiliations

¹ Uganda-Case Western Reserve University Research Collaboration, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; Joint Clinical Research Centre, Kampala, Uganda. Electronic address: sxo81@case.edu.
² Uganda-Case Western Reserve University Research Collaboration, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; Joint Clinical Research Centre, Kampala, Uganda.
³ Uganda-Case Western Reserve University Research Collaboration, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; Division of Infectious Diseases, Metro Health Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; Tuberculosis Research Unit, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
⁴ Uganda-Case Western Reserve University Research Collaboration, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
⁵ Uganda-Case Western Reserve University Research Collaboration, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; Tuberculosis Research Unit, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.

Abstract

We retrospectively analyzed time to detection of 3747 positive MGIT sputum cultures at a laboratory in a country with heavy burden of tuberculosis. Ninety-nine percent of diagnostic cultures turned positive within 28days, suggesting that physicians may consider alternative diagnoses if sputum cultures remain negative after 4weeks of incubation.

Keywords: MGIT 960; MTB complex; Sputum culture; TTD.

MeSH terms

Bacteriological Techniques / methods*
Humans
Mycobacterium tuberculosis / growth & development*
Mycobacterium tuberculosis / isolation & purification*
Retrospective Studies
Sputum / microbiology*
Time Factors
Tuberculosis / diagnosis*
Tuberculosis / microbiology

Abstract

MeSH terms

Grants and funding