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Diagnosis of lung tuberculosis is possible with two spot sputum samples with modified ZN staining.

A method was devised to measure the work of adhesion (WA) to a substrate of mucus, a viscoelastic gel, from the measured contact angle of glycerol on a mucus substrate and the known physical properties of a Teflon surface. Fifteen sputum samples from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients were compared with 25 mucus samples from canine tracheal pouches (CP), studied in the hydrated and partially dehydrated states. Apparent viscosity (eta A) and recoverable shear strain (SR) were measured by fluxgate magnetometry, and water content was inferred from vapor pressure osmometry. Na+, K+, and Ca2+ concentrations were measured with specific ion electrodes and Cl- with a chloridimeter. The Cl- concentration of the CP mucus was inversely proportional to its osmolality, and the Cl- concentration of the CP mucus was 102.5 +/- 1.6 meq/l compared with 55.6 +/- 2.5 meq/l for CF sputum. When CP mucus osmolality was increased from 316.0 +/- 5.5 to 430.0 +/- 7.5 mosmol/kg, WA increased from 25.1 +/- 1.8 to 31.1 +/- 1.2 ergs/cm2 and eta A increased from 391 +/- 55 to 622 +/- 121 P, respectively. CF sputum WA was 30.2 +/- 0.6 ergs/cm2, eta A was 1,110 +/- 316 P, and osmolality was 466.0 +/- 14.0 mosmol/kg. The increased WA and eta A of mucus in CF patients may thus be dependent on the hydration of mucus, which is related to the documented Cl- transport defect.

Background:Sputum smear microscopy is the main tool for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Limited sensitivity of smear microscopy and patient dropouts (PDs) are the important obstacles of national TB control programs.Objectives:(1) To assess the diagnostic utility of the same day (SS2) approach (2) To compare the smear results of the spot morning (SM) and the SS2 approaches.Materials and Methods:The study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, GSL Medical College, Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, India from January 2011 to February 2015. Three sputum samples were collected [spot (S), second spot (S2) 1 h after S, and morning sample (M)] from the volunteers. The sputum smears were stained by Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN), modified ZN (MZN), and fluorescent staining (FS) techniques and the results were pooled and compared under SM and SS2 approaches.Results:Of the 3,186 study participants, sputum smear positivity (SSP) for SM approach was 9.6% and 10.8% and for SS2 approach, it was 9.4% and 10.6%, respectively, with ZN and FS and the results were statistically insignificant (Mann-Whitney U test, P > 0.05).Conclusion:Technically SSP was similar for both the approaches and no improvement was observed with the SS2 approach. Hence, there is an urgent need to improve SSP.

Nil dropouts and patient convenience are the added advantages of using same-day smears, and the concentration method improved smear positivity. Given these advantages, using same-day smears with the concentration method should be considered by the World Health Organization and India's Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme.

Objective: To find the serum calcium (Ca) levels in the pulmonary tuberculosis (PT) patients and its correlation with smear grading. Methods: Microscopically confirmed PT patients were included in the test group and healthy individuals in the control group. Two sputum samples were collected from the participants by the same day approach. Smears were stained by Ziehl Neelsen staining technique. Simultaneously 5 ml blood was collected; serum was separated by centrifugation at 3000 rpm, 10 minutes. Serum Ca was estimated by kit method, by auto analyzer. ANOVA test was used to find the statistical significance. Results: Total 100 participants were included. The mean serum Ca levels were 7.2 mg/dL and 9.4 mg/dL in the test and control groups, respectively. Grade wise the mean serum Ca levels were 7.4 mg/dL, 7.3 mg/dL, 7.1 mg/dL and 7 mg/dL respectively for scanty, 1+. 2+ and 3+. Statistically the difference was not significant among the groups and the grades. Conclusion: As per our study hypocalcemia is observed in PT patients and the mean serum Ca levels were decreased with smear grading.

Background: The present study was aimed in identifying the normal organisms found in the conjunctiva of healthy eyes among the individuals undergoing cataract surgery and also antibacterial susceptibility of the isolates. Cataract is the major cause of blindness in the developing countries, cataract surgery is the one of the common surgical practices.Methods: Study was conducted in the department of Microbiology, GSL Medical College from May to July 2018. Surgically removed contact lens was collected in sterile nutrient broth and transported to Microbiology laboratory for culture and sensitivity testing. The broths were incubated at 37ºC for 24 hours then subculture on Blood agar, MacConkey agar and Nutrient agar, incubated aerobically at 37ºC for 24 hours and then examined for bacteria growth according to standard protocol. After incubation growth was identified by colony morphology, 1 staining and biochemical tests. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was done on Muller-Hinton agar by the disk diffusion method.Results: During the study period, 58 samples were collected; the male female ratio was 1.14. Maximum strains were isolated among female; the male female ration was 0.95. Increase in flora was observed with age. No significant drug resistance was observed.Conclusions: This is a hospital based study which is not truly representing the community. Hence a community based study with large sample by considering the comorbid conditions such as occupation, diabetes, immune status can give the authenticated data on the conjunctival flora.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy of one-sputum sample two-smear approach for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from January 2012 to December 2015 were analyzed to find (1) number of smear positives (SPs) by spot (S) sample with one and two smears; (2) number of SPs by morning (M) sample with one and two smears; and (iii) number of SPs by two samples with two smears, that is, same-day (SS2) and spot morning (SM) approaches. The Chi-square test was used to evaluate the statistical difference in SP cases. RESULTS: With one-sample two-smear approach, the smear positivity (SPT) was 87% and 87.5%, for S and M samples, respectively, for Ziehl–Neelsen (ZN) staining; whereas, SPT was 96% and 97%, respectively, for S and M samples, for fluorescent staining (FS) technique. With two-sample two-smear approach, for ZN staining, SPT was 89% each and for FS technique, SPT was 97% and 99%, respectively, for SS2 and SM approaches. The difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05) between one- and two-sample approaches in the staining techniques. CONCLUSION: Significant number of SP cases are identified by S sample two-smear approach. Thus, the World Health Organization/Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme can initiate S sample two-smear approach for the diagnosis of PT.