ArticleBMC infectious diseases2012
High yield of culture-based diagnosis in a TB-endemic setting.
Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Metagenomic next-generation sequencing for tuberculosis diagnosis: enhanced performance and cost-effectiveness.Microbiology spectrum · 2026Observational
- A streamlined CRISPR-based test for tuberculosis detection directly from sputum.Science advances · 2025Article
- Statistical Investigation of High Culture Contamination Rates in Mycobacteriology Laboratory.Frontiers in microbiology · 2022Article
- Sensor-as-a-Service: Convergence of Sensor Analytic Point Solutions (SNAPS) and Pay-A-Penny-Per-Use (PAPPU) Paradigm as a Catalyst for Democratization of Healthcare in Underserved Communities.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020Review
- Nanoparticle-Based Biosensing Assay for Universally Accessible Low-Cost TB Detection with Comparable Sensitivity as Culture.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2019Article
- Medical Diagnostic Tests: A Review of Test Anatomy, Phases, and Statistical Treatment of Data.Computational and mathematical methods in medicine · 2019Review
- The implications of whole-genome sequencing in the control of tuberculosis.Therapeutic advances in infectious disease · 2016Review
- Impact of pre-analytical factors on mycobacterium cultures contaminations rates in Burkina Faso, West Africa.The Pan African medical journal · 2014Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn most of the world, microbiologic diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) is limited to microscopy. Recent guidelines recommend culture-based diagnosis where feasible.
methodsIn order to evaluate the relative and absolute incremental diagnostic yield of culture-based diagnosis in a high-incidence community in Cape Town, South Africa, subjects evaluated for suspected TB had their samples processed for microscopy and culture over a 21 month period.
resultsFor 2537 suspect episodes with 2 smears and 2 cultures done, 20.0% (508) had at least one positive smear and 29.9% (760) had at least one positive culture. One culture yielded 1.8 times more cases as 1 smear (relative yield), or an increase of 12.0% (absolute yield). Based on the latter value, the number of cultures needed to diagnose (NND) one extra case of TB was 8, compared to 19 if second specimens were submitted for microscopy.
conclusionIn a high-burden setting, the introduction of culture can markedly increase TB diagnosis over microscopy. The concept of number needed to diagnose can help in comparing incremental yield of diagnosis methods. Although new promising diagnostic molecular methods are being implemented, TB culture is still the gold standard.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.