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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, August 2005, p. 4245-4248, Vol. 43, No. 8
0095-1137/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.43.8.4245-4248.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Improved Laboratory Safety by Decontamination of Unstained Sputum Smears for Acid-Fast Microscopy

Luiz Roberto Bigão Giacomelli,1,2* Cesar Helbel,1 Roger Leandro Nunes Ogassawara,1 Ângela Maria Werneck Barreto,2 Fátima Moreira Martins,2 Celso Luíz Cardoso,1 and Clarice Queico Fujimura Leite3

Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, PR,1 Centro de Referência Professor Hélio Fraga, Rio de Janeiro, RJ,2 Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas/UNESP, Araraquara, SP, Brazil3

Received 7 December 2004/ Returned for modification 21 January 2005/ Accepted 26 May 2005

Tubercle bacilli may survive in unstained heat-fixed sputum smears and may be an infection risk to laboratory staff. We compared the effectiveness of 1% and 5% sodium hypochlorite, 5% phenol, 2% glutaraldehyde, and 3.7% formalin in killing Mycobacterium tuberculosis present in smears prepared from 51 sputum samples. The smears were decontaminated by the tube and slide techniques. Phenol at 5%, glutaraldehyde at 2%, and buffered formalin at 3.7% for 1 min (tube technique) or for 10 min (slide technique) were effective in decontaminating sputum smears and preserved cell morphology and quantitative acid-fast microscopy results.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Rua Pioneiro Amador Rodrigues Truite, 217 Jardim Bela Vista, 87060-515 Maringá, PR, Brazil. Phone: 55-44-3259-5659. Fax: 55-44-3225-5999. E-mail: betofla{at}teracom.com.br.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, August 2005, p. 4245-4248, Vol. 43, No. 8
0095-1137/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.43.8.4245-4248.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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