Fig. 2

Cumulative percentages of the time to culture positivity for culture-positive samples according to culture method (a), according to smear status of sputa (b and c), and according to sample type in sputum-productive and sputum-scarce patients (d and e). A. Median time to sputum culture positivity cultured by MODS vs LJ (10 days vs 34 days, p <0.0001). b. Within MODS culture of sputa, effect of smear-positive vs smear-negative on time to culture positivity (median 8 vs 13 days, p <0.001). c. Within LJ of sputa, effect of smear-positive vs smear-negative on time to culture positivity (median 30 vs 40 days, p = 0.1367) d. Within the sputum-productive cohort, time to culture positivity of MODS sputum vs MODS string test (median 9 vs 13 days, p = 0.0058). e Within the sputum-scarce cohort, time to culture positivity of MODS sputum vs MODS string test (median 11 vs 14 days, p = 0.3159). String samples were not neutralized prior to storage and this may have affected both diagnostic yield and time to positivity. Median times to processing with interquartile ranges for each group of samples are below: All MODS Sputum Samples: Median 3 days (IQR 1–5). MODS Smear-positive Sputum Samples: Median 4 days (IQR 2–5). MODS Smear-negative Sputum samples: Median 2 days (IQR 2–4.75). LJ Sputum samples: Median 5 days (IQR 2–6). All MODS String Samples: Median 3 days (IQR 1–5). MODS Sputum-Productive Sputum Samples: Median 3 days (IQR 2–5). MODS Sputum-Productive String Samples (Median 3 days (IQR 2–5). MODS Sputum-Scarce Sputum Samples: Median 4 days (IQR 2–6). MODS Sputum-Scarce String Samples: Median 4 days (IQR 2–6)