Evaluating the diagnostic utility of sputum and bronchoalveolar aspirate cbnaat for mycobacterium tuberculosis in diagnosis of sputum negative pulmonary tuberculosis-one-year tertiary hospital based cross-sectional study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: TB is a major global health issue, affecting 10.6 million people worldwide in 2022 alone which manifests as PTB constituting around 85% of total cases. Prompt and precise diagnosis is essential for efficient administration and regulation of TB, as delayed or overlooked diagnosis can lead to heightened transmission, disease advancement, and unfavorable outcomes. The traditional method for diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis heavily relies on sputum smear microscopy and culture, which have drawbacks in terms of sensitivity and the time required to obtain results. CBNAAT has significantly transformed the diagnosis of TB by offering quick and precise outcomes and it can test clinical samples directly for both the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and rifampicin resistance This study was designed to assess the role of CBNAAT in diagnosing sputum smear-negative pulmonary TB in a tertiary care hospital. The diagnostic utility of CBNAAT was evaluated by analyzing sputum and bronchoalveolar aspirate samples. The study sought to gain insights into the most effective diagnostic approach for this challenging subset of tuberculosis cases by comparing the performance of CBNAAT on these two sample types. OBJECTIVES: 1. To study and compare the sensitivity and specificity of sputum and bronchoalveolar CBNAAT for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the diagnosis of sputum smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis. ix 2. To study and compare bronchoalveolar lavage CBNAAT positivity and MTB culture positivity.