In a resource-limited setting, a patient with suspected pulmonary TB provides a sputum sample. The laboratory performs Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining. Wh...

Question

In a resource-limited setting, a patient with suspected pulmonary TB provides a sputum sample. The laboratory performs Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining. What is the minimum number of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) that must be seen on a ZN-stained smear to report the result as 'scanty positive'?

Accepted Answer

1-9 AFB per 100 high-power fields

Answer

10-99 AFB per 100 high-power fields

Answer

1-9 AFB per high-power field

Answer

>10 AFB per high-power field

Answer

100 AFB per slide

uk-dtmh MCQ (SBA): ZN Smear Grading

In a resource-limited setting, a patient with suspected pulmonary TB provides a sputum sample. The laboratory performs Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining. What is the minimum number of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) that must be seen on a ZN-stained smear to report the result as 'scanty positive'?