False-Positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis Cultures in 44 Laboratories in The Netherlands (1993 to 2000): Incidence, Risk Factors, and Consequences

ABSTRACT False-positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis cultures are a benchmark for the quality of laboratory processes and patient care. We studied the incidence of false-positive cultures, risk factors, and consequences for patients during the period from 1993 to 2000 in 44 peripheral laboratories in The Netherlands. The national reference laboratory tested 8,889 M. tuberculosis isolates submitted by these laboratories. By definition, a culture was false positive (i) if the DNA fingerprint of the isolate was identical to that of an isolate from another patient processed within 7 days in the same... Mehr ...