Abstract
The usefulness of employing Belgian selection criteria before performing nucleic acid amplification techniques (NAT) was evaluated. The results of this study show that for smear-negative patients with an abnormal chest radiology result in the absence of a respiratory tract infection by bacterial pathogens, testing with NAT is of major benefit.
MeSH terms
-
Belgium
-
Humans
-
Mycobacterium tuberculosis / genetics*
-
Mycobacterium tuberculosis / isolation & purification*
-
Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / methods*
-
Patient Selection
-
Radiography, Thoracic
-
Reproducibility of Results
-
Respiratory System / microbiology*
-
Retrospective Studies
-
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / diagnosis*
-
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / diagnostic imaging