Survival of tubercle bacilli in heat-fixed and stained sputum smears


Autoria(s): Cardoso,Celso Luíz; Giacomelli,Luiz Roberto Bigão; Helbel,César; Sant'Ana,Janete Jordão; Martins,Fátima Moreira; Barreto,Angela Maria Werneck
Data(s)

01/02/2001

Resumo

We used a slide culture technique to detect tubercle bacilli surviving in sputum smears (n=46) after conventional heat fixation and Ziehl-Neelsen staining. In all heat-fixed sputum smears, tubercle bacilli survived after time 0 (n=22), 24 h (n=7), 48 h (n=7), 72 h (n=4), and seven days (n=6). None of the stained sputum smears showed growth on slide cultures. Viable tubercle bacilli remaining in heat-fixed sputum smears for at least seven days may present an infection risk to laboratory staff. Thus, sputum smears should be stained immediately by the Ziehl-Neelsen method or stored in a safe container to avoid transmission of tuberculosis.

Formato

text/html

Identificador

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762001000200024

Idioma(s)

en

Publicador

Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde

Fonte

Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz v.96 n.2 2001

Palavras-Chave #tubercle bacilli #slide culture #sputum smear
Tipo

journal article