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Ency. home > Test > S > Sputum stain for mycobacteria

Sputum stain for mycobacteria   

Overview | Risks | Results

Alternative names:

Acid fast bacilli stain; AFB stain; Tuberculosis smear; TB smear

What the Risks Are

There are no risks, unless bronchoscopy is performed.

Special Considerations

To increase the accuracy of this test, it is sometimes done three times, often on three consectutive days.

There are more sophisticated tests that are sometimes used to stain sputum for mycobacteria. Check with your health care provider to see if these are available in the laboratory.

Ency. home > Test > S > Sputum stain for mycobacteria

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