In a trial to evaluate the slide culture method as a rapid method used for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis; this study was carried out on 80 patients attended the Out Patient Chest Clinic of Realm University Hospital during the period from Septemper 1997 to February 1998 and suspected of having pulmonary tuberculosis on either clinical or radiological ground or both. They had not previously received any antituberculous drugs before. Early morning sputum samples collected from these patients were subjected to Ziehl. Neelsen (Z.N) staining, culture on Lowenstein —Jensen (L.J) and Middle brook 71111 (MB7H11) agar media. Slide culture technique was done on both human blood medium (I-IBM) and sheep blood medium (SBM). Biochemical identification of the different mycobacterial isolates and drug susceptibility tests to isoniazide, streptomycin, ethambutol, rifampicin and thiacetazone were performed. The slide culture method is more sensitive (74.3%) than Z.N staining (37.5%) and culture on L.J medium (68.8%) and less sensitive than culture on MB7H II agar medium (90%). Availability of slide culture results after 7 days compared to 36 +1.67 days on L.J media and 17 + 0.78 days on MB7 UI 1 agar is a distinct advantage of slide culture method with a possible use in primary isolation and in evaluation of drug sensitivity pattern of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The egg enriched SBM is more sensitive (78.4%) and easily available than EIBM (75..7%). Both types of media were associated with a low rate of contamination (2.5 - 5%). From 72 cases isolated on MB7H11 agar we could isolate and identify 61 (84.7%) /IL tuberculosis, 6 (8.3%) M. avian; 2(2.8%) M. kansasii, 1(1.4%) M. zenopi and 2(2.8%) unidentified cases. Resistance of M.tuberculosis strains isolated from sputum samples to the most common!) used antituberculosis drugs (isoniazid, rifampicin, elham bubo), streptomycin and thiacelazone) was 24.6%, 19.7%, 40.9% and 4.9% respectively. |
