Purpose: Smear scores and induration sizes resulting from the PPD (tuberculin purified protein derivative) test can serve as indicators of whether a patient suffering from tuberculosis shows smear conversion or not. Methods: Using microbiological methods smear and sputum tests, patients diagnosed as infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis between 2002 and 2015 were included in this study. All ...

Background: Even though commercial nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) have become the most frequently used molecular tests for laboratory diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), published studies report variable estimates of their diagnostic accuracy. We analysed the accuracy of commercial NAATs for the diagnosis of pulmonary TB in smear positive and smear negative respiratory samples u...

BACKGROUND This study examines the Pap smear usage conditions and relevant influential factors for 18,204 women aged 30 years and above with intellectual disabilities, using nationwide data from 2008. METHODS The research method of this study is secondary data analysis. The data was obtained from three nationwide databases from 2006 to 2008. This study employed descriptive statistics to analy...

SETTING Nairobi City Council Chest Clinic, Nairobi, Kenya. OBJECTIVE To determine if under-reading of sputum smears is a contributing factor in the disproportionate increase in smear-negative tuberculosis in Nairobi, Kenya. METHODOLOGY Between October 1997 and November 1998, patients fulfilling the local programme definition of smear-negative presumed pulmonary tuberculosis were enrolled in...

Objective: Since colposcopy biopsy test plays a significant role in the evaluation of cervix, especially in patients with an abnormal result of Pap smear test, therefore, this research study was conducted to compare the results of Pap smear and colposcopy directed punch biopsy tests at Firoozgar and Akbarabady hospitals from 2001 to 2003. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was ca...

objective: elevated nucleated red blood cell (nrbc) count is introduced as a potential marker of intra-uterine growth restriction (iugr). to investigate the probable association regardless of any known underlying disease, we aimed to study disturbances in nrbc count in infants experiencing idiopathic iugr. materials and methods: twenty three infants regarded iugr without any known cause were ch...

The aim of this study was to compare direct visual inspection (DVI) with Pap smear in diagnosis of precancerous lesion of cervix. A total of 1500 women were screened cytologically as well as clinically with direct visual inspection of cervix after application of acetic acid (DVI). A total of 1500 women were screened cytologically as well as clinically with direct visual inspection of cervix aft...

Cervical cancer screening in Malaysia is by opportunistic Pap smear which contributes to the low uptake rate. To overcome this, a pilot project called the SIPPS program (translated as information system of Pap smear program) had been introduced whereby women aged 20-65 years old are invited for Pap smear and receive recall to repeat the test. This study aimed at determining which recall method ...

BACKGROUND Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis continues to rely on sputum smear microscopy in many settings. We conducted a meta-analysis to estimate the percentage of children and adults with tuberculosis that are sputum smear positive. METHODS We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and Global Health databases for studies that included both children and adults with all forms of active TB. The pooled ...