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From microscopy centre to culture laboratory: a viable ride for mycobacteria
S Aparna1, Moorthy K V Krishna, S Gokhale
1Microbiology Division, Blue Peter Research Centre (LEPRA Society), Hyderabad, India. Aparna@bprc-lepraindia.org
Settings:
Culture and drug susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is required for the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis. Cetylpyridinium chloride-sodium chloride (CPC-NaCl) solution is recommended for the preservation of sputum during transport.
Objective:
To study the possibility of sputum preservation and transport in CPC-NaCl and its effect on culture.
Design:
Sputum specimens preserved with CPC-NaCl were transported to the laboratory for culture from remote microscopy centres of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa states, India.
Results:
Of the 175 specimens, 140 (80%) yielded mycobacteria, 21 (12%) did not yield any growth, 11 (6.2%) grew contaminants and 3 (1.7%) were lost due to leakage. Culture positivity was greater in specimens stored for 1 week. Culture results from specimens stored for 2 weeks are encouraging.
Conclusion:
The CPC-NaCl preservation technique can be used for effective preservation and transport of
