Culture of specimens other than sputum for mycobacteria

Abstract

A comparison was made of Lowenstein Jensen medium, with or without added pyruvate, 7H11 oleic acid albumin agar slopes made selective by the addition of antibiotics, and selective Kirchner medium in the isolation of tubercle bacilli from specimens other than sputum. A combination of a standard mild preliminary treatment with sulphuric acid and selective medium reduced the contamination rate to 0.1%. Neither acid treatment nor antibiotics appeared to reduce the isolation rate. An effective procedure is to treat all specimens (except cerebrospinal fluid) with acid and culture on 2 Lowenstein Jensen slopes (one with pyruvate), a 7H11 selective slope, and in 2 bottles of selective Kirchner medium.