The laboratory as a tool to qualify tuberculosis diagnosis.

Objectives: To evaluate the performance of laboratory diagnosis of tuberculosis, clinical samples underwent culture, species identification and drug susceptibility testing (DST).

Methods: A total of 554 samples from 269 patients were tested for smear microscopy using Kinyoun stain. Culture was performed in Ogawa-Kudoh medium and species identification was performed using the IS6110 amplified region. DST for rifampicin, isoniazid (INH) and streptomycin were carried out using the Resazurin assay.

Results: Cultures augmented the number of cases diagnosed by 22.1%, IS6110 amplification identified all Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains thus isolated and DST detected three strains resistant to INH and one multidrug-resistant strain.

Conclusion: Simultaneous use of different techniques enhanced culture yield, species identification and detection of drug resistance even in a laboratory with limited facilities.