Factors influencing time to sputum conversion among patients with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis.(Research Report)

According to an abstract submitted by the authors to The Lancet Conference 'The Challenge of Tuberculosis', held September 14-15, 1995, in Washington, D.C., "Current recommendations for discontinuation of TB isolation in health-care facilities include having three consecutive negative sputum smears for acid-fast bacilli (AFB). For patients with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis, limited data exist on the time to become smear-negative. From April, 1993, to end of December, 1994, the following information, in addition to basic demographic data, was obtained on all patients with sputum smear-positive, culture-confirmed pulmonary TB: previous history of TB, HIV status, CD4 …