Characteristics of Patients with Smear-Negative Pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB) in a Region with High TB and HIV Prevalence.

Introduction: Smear-negative pulmonary TB (SNPT) represents 30-60% of all pulmonary TB cases. The mortality of these patients can reach 25% in populations with high prevalence of HIV infection, and 10-20% of TB transmission at the population level are attributable to SNPT cases.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate epidemiological, clinical, and radiological characteristics of patients with SNPT and to compare these with patients who were diagnosed as having smear-positive pulmonary TB (SPPT).

Comparison between spontaneous sedimentation method and Paratest® for the diagnosis of intestinal parasitic infections.

Correct diagnosis of parasitic infections is essential for the treatment of individuals avoiding indiscriminate use of anthelmintics which increases drug resistance. In a comparative study between the spontaneous sedimentation technique and Paratest(®), 140 stool samples were analyzed for the detection of parasites. The prevalence was 12.