Study: New TB test cuts diagnosis times

LONDON, June 1 (UPI) -- A new tuberculosis test could cut diagnosis time from three days to a matter of hours, according to a U.S. study released Friday.

Current tests, including gastric washing and bronchoscopy are invasive, time consuming and complicated. For the most common tests, patients must stay in a hospital for three days, delaying the start of treatment, according to the study.

In the new test, patients simply inhale salty water through a nebuliser for 20 minutes. Doctors then take sputum samples from deep inside the lungs which can be rapidly analyzed for traces of mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium which causes most cases of tuberculosis.

The test is not only easier, but also just as effective as older tests, said the article appearing in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. In the 140 people who were examined, use of three sputum specimens correctly detected the disease in 39 percent of patients compared to 30 percent with gastric washing.

"By doing all the tests in one day, we can start treatment sooner and get patients home sooner," said study researcher Robert Davidson, from the Division of Medicine at Imperial College in London.