ABSTRACT
Objective To analyze the results of sputum culture from smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis cases after treatment for 2 months.Methods Sputum specimens from newly diagnosed 147 smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis cases after treatment for 2 months were fast cultured by BacT/ALERT 3D.Poeitive cultures were further detected by HAIN test in Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and prevention and compared with L-J meditun.Results Mycobacteria were found in 45 specimens by Bact/ALERT 3D in contrast to 22 by Lonswtein-Jenson method.The median time was 19.3 days for the whole Bact/ALERT 3D test while the whole procedure would cost 3 months for traditional L-J test.Conclusion Results from sputum smear could not reflect tuberculosis progress properly while BacT/ALERT 3D fast culture would help to find drug resistant patients promptly and accurately.