Isolation of mycobacteria by BACTEC 460 TB system from clinical specimens.

This article reports our experience with the BACTEC 460 TB system in the past five years and its performance characteristics and its advantages over the conventional LJ medium for mycobacterial culture. Clinical specimens (3597) from patients suspected to have tuberculosis were submitted for mycobacterial culture between May 2000 and August 2005 and were processed using the BACTEC 460 TB system. Pulmonary samples were 1568 while the extra pulmonary samples were 2029. BACTEC achieved detection of 681 (18.93%) M. tuberculosis cases (499- pulmonary, 182- extrapulmonary) with a recovery time shorter by 13.2 days compared to conventional method, while 577 (84.7%) were non-tuberculosis mycobacteria. Automated systems can have a great impact and thrust on an early diagnosis of tuberculosis allowing an early and appropriate management of the patient and thereby a better disease outcome.

Human immunodeficiency virus infection in a tertiary care hospital--clinical and microbiological profile.

Infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has an increasing, direct and significant impact on the hospital, especially the emergency services. Out of a total of 39,876 patients screened, 1061 patients were reactive for anti-HIV antibodies. The incidence of the infection showed a remarkable progression from 0.89% in 1992-1993 to 5.6% in 1997, among the seropositive patients. The number of patients with signs and symptoms related to HIV infection has also shown a 2 fold rise (from 42% in 1992-1993 to 87% in 1997). The prevalence of HIV 1 in the seropositive patients is 93%, HIV 2 alone is 2.3% and 3.1% had a mixed infection with both HIV 1 and 2. Secondary infection with Mycobacteria ranked high (25%) among the symptomatic patients, with pulmonary and the disseminated varieties being more common.