Pulmonary tuberculosis in Ibadan: a ten-year review of laboratory reports (1996-2005)

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) control programme is a balance between accurate diagnosis of the disease and effective treatment of cases to eliminate the disease in the community. We carried out a retrospective review of the specimens processed in the TB laboratory of the Department of Medical Microbiology. University College Hospital, Ibadan between 1996 and 2005. Majority of the specimen s processed were sputum (75.2%) while cerebrospinal fluid and aspirates from other source s accounted f or 4.3 % and 20.5 % respectively. Of the sputum processed, 2,73 8 (62.4%) were from mal e patients while 1,650 (37.6%) were from female patients giving a male to female ratio of 1.66:1.00. Only 380 (9.5%) were reported smear positive while 4 7 7 (10.9%) were positive f or culture. Three hundred an d four (6.9%) were smear negative but culture positive while 2 0 7 (4.7%) were smear positive but negative f or culture. Those sputum that were missed by smear microscopy (6.9%) were only confirmed by culture after six to eight week s incubation. This culture method is only available in few reference centers in Nigeria. Thus, undiagnosed case s resulting from inadequate diagnostic facilities contribute an impediment to TB control efforts in t h e community. Hence there is an urgent need to have more accurate, affordable tools that would be available for use at the all levels of health care to achieve total eradication of TB in the community.