Accuracy of staining technique for detecting mycobacterial infection

The acid-fast smear has been regarded as a poor screening technique of decreasing reliability for correct identification of diseased patients in representative hospital populations. In this report, laboratory data are reviewed from three institutions: a tertiary care facility, a regional reference laboratory, and a suburban community hospital. The acid-fast smear shows a greater than 90% efficiency in accurate classification of patients. The positive smear is of good predictive value. The acid-fast smear should not be discarded in clinical use.