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Chances for positive TB SPUTUM CULTURE TEST after medication.

Resolved Question:

What is the chance that a Tuberculosis (TB) sputum culture test (that usually takes 2 months to get results), will be POSITIVE if the patient already took TB medication for 6 months about 5 months prior to the TB sputum culture test?

Category: Infectious Disease Specialist

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Category: HIV- AIDS Specialist
 20 Doctors Online

Hello.

Thank you for your query at DoctorSpring.com.

I understand your concern.

The chances of culture turning out to be positive depends on the specific clinical diagnosis, previous culture results as well as the treatment given.

In a case of successfully treated Pulmonary Tuberculosis, sputum culture would be negative after completion of the anti-tubercular treatment.
However, if the infection was not eliminated either due to inadequate treatment or non-adherence to the treatment regimen, Tuberculosis can relapse, and culture can be positive in such cases.

In order to give my best opinion, I would need more details like:
-what type of tuberculosis was diagnosed before starting treatment,
-the exact treatment taken and whether it was taken regularly,
-results of sputum culture, two months after start of anti-TB medication and if that was positive, those repeated later,
-whether HIV negative or positive,
-and why was this sputum culture sent for now.

Please reply to the above as a follow-up and feel free to ask queries.

Kind regards.


Dr. Jaydeep Tripathy
Category: HIV- AIDS Specialist
Experience: 
MBBS from Sri Ramachandra University in December 2011
M.Med (Family Medicine) - TNMGR University, Chennai
MBA-MPH in Public Health in March 2016, SRM University
Finished AFIH in March 2016, SRM University
MRCP ( UK ), Internal Medicine, Royal College of Physicians, June 2016
Fellowship in Diabetology from Martin Luther University in January 2017

Currently Resident Physician, in MD Radiodiagnosis - Kamakshi Memorial Hospital, Chennai
Dr. Jaydeep Tripathy and 4 other Medical Specialists are ready to help you

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