Evaluation of the septi-chek AFB system in the recovery of mycobacteria

Abstract
The performance of the Septi-Chek AFB System (Roche) in the isolation of mycobacteria was compared to that of culture on Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) medium and the Bactec radiometric system. The Septi-Chek AFB system detected a significantly higher number of positive specimens (62/66 versus 47/66 for Bactec and 39/56 for LJ medium) and was more often the only medium in which an isolate was recovered. The average time for detection of isolates was very similar for the Septi-Chek AFB and Bactec systems which were both significantly faster than LJ medium in the majority of isolates.