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Lot Quality Assurance Sampling of Sputum Acid-Fast Bacillus Smears for Assessing Sputum Smear Microscopy Centers

Tuberculosis Research Centre,¹ National Institute of Epidemiology, Indian Council of Medical Research, Chennai,² State TB Office, Tamil Nadu,³ District Tuberculosis Centre, Tiruvallur,⁴ Central TB Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,⁵ Stop TB Unit, World Health Organization, SEARO, New Delhi, India⁶

Received 18 June 2004/ Returned for modification 17 September 2003/ Accepted 12 October 2004

Assessment of 12 microscopy centers in a tuberculosis unit by blinded checking of eight sputum smears selected by using a lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS) method and by unblinded checking of all positive and five negative slides, among the slides examined in a month in a microscopy centre, revealed that the LQAS method can be implemented in the field to monitor the performance of acid-fast bacillus microscopy centers in national tuberculosis control programs.

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