Sodium Hypochlorite Diagnostic Performance compared to Ziehl-Nelseen method among Presumptive Tuberculosis Patients in Uganda

Background: Tuberculosis remains a major public health problem worldwide. Direct Ziehl Nelseen (ZN) is the conventional Laboratory method for diagnosis of TB. However, there are higher chances missing TB positive cases due to insufficient sensitivity. This would eventually lead transmission and hence mortality. Objective: To determine sensitivity specificity ZN diagnostic technique on concentrated unconcentrated sputum samples as well assess how clinical, socio-demographic, sample variables affect positivity. Method Materials: cross-sectional investigation was carried out in Mulago Hospital, covering adult presumptive patients. Sputum from 114 patients were collected processed by both NaOCl concentration direct techniques. Sensitivity calculated tabulated. Prediction positivity assessed using Logistic regression analysis. Results: Out total samples, 82 (71.9%) GeneXpert test (the gold standard), whereas 79 (69.3%) found but with 65 (57.0%) positive, thus an increase 14 (12.3%) noted when used which highly significant ρ<0.05 (χ2 =95.38). got than smear 97.5% 80.2% respectively. The specificities almost same 93.9% 90.9%. had PPV 0.98 NPV 0.94 while 0.95 0.65. Conclusion: be more sensitive though same. Clinical, socio-demographic factors’ effect not statistically (ρ value=0.796). should adopted effective pulmonary