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Year : 2004 | Volume
: 9
| Issue : 1 | Page : 42-44 |
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Diagnosis of tuberculosis : Experience with use of an immunochromatographic assay in a Nigerian hospital
Martin E Ohanu1, PO Okonkwo2, Margaret Aghaji3, N Njeze4, A Nwokocha5, E Ele6
1 Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria 2 Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria 3 Department of Community Medicine , University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria 4 Department of Radiation Medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria 5 Department of Pediatrics, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria 6 Department of Chemical Pathology , University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria
Correspondence Address:
Martin E Ohanu Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu Nigeria
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None

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Aim: To evaluate an immunochromatographic assay method in the serodiagnosis of tuberculosis.
Patients and Methods: Thirty participants, 25 patients and five normal individuals were studied between July and October 2001. 40μL, of whole blood or 20μL of serum was used in the test for each kit. Using sputum smear microscopy as gold standard, the new method was compared with x-ray diagnosis
Results: The sensitivity, specificity and efficiency of the new immunodiagnostic method were 89.5%, 77.7% and 85.7% while that of X-ray were 75%, 50% and 66.6% respectively.
Conclusion: The new immunodiagnostic method gave better results in sensitivity, specificity (as well as in other performance indices) than X-ray diagnosis. The new test is rapid, reliable and field operable.
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