Efficacy and safety of thrice weekly DOTS in tuberculosis patients with and without HIV co-infection: an observational study

Table 3 Baseline sputum smear and culture results for pulmonary TB patients

*n (%)*	HIV + (n = 89)	HIV- (n = 119)	Overall (n = 208)
Smear results
Negative	24 (27.0%)	9 (7.6%)	33 (15.9%)
Unable to produce sputum	19 (21.3%)	7 (5.9%)	26 (12.5%)
Total positive	46 (51.6%)	103 (86.6%)	149 (71.6%)
Scanty	8 (17.4%)	4 (3.9%)	12 (8.1%)
1+	22 (47.8%)	24 (23.3%)	46 (30.9%)
2+	6 (13.0%)	25 (24.3%)	31 (20.1%)
3+	8 (17.4%)	50 (48.5%)	58 (38.9%)
Grading unavailable (Positive)	2 (4.3%)	0	2 (1.3%)
Culture results
Negative	24 (27.0%)	5 (4.2%)	29 (13.9%)
Unavailable⁺	24 (27.0%)	10 (8.4%)	34 (16.3%)
Positive	41 (46.1%)*	104 (87.4%)*	145 (69.7%)
Chest radiograph severity†
No infiltrates	10 (11.2)	2 (1.7)	12 (5.8)
Minimal lesions	25 (28.1)	27 (22.7)	52 (25.0)
Moderately advanced	38 (42.7)	61 (51.3)	99 (47.6)
Far advanced	16 (18.0)	29 (24.4)	45 (21.6)

* One HIV-negative patient was smear-negative, culture-positive; four HIV-positive patients were smear-positive but culture negative, and one HIV-positive individual was smear-positive, but their culture result was not available.
⁺ This includes those unable to produce sputum despite sputum induction (see 'smear results' section of Table 3), as well as those whose sputum culture results were not available for other reasons.
† According to the National Tuberculosis Association of the USA classification [22].

ISSN: 1471-2334