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

B D Alexander; J E Stout; L B Reller; C D Hamilton

doi:10.1086/501851

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.

Authors

B D Alexander¹, J E Stout, L B Reller, C D Hamilton

Affiliation

¹ Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.

PMID: 11842993
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