Can a positive sputum test confirm the diagnosis of tuberculosis?

Whether a positive sputum test confirms the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis needs to be judged on a case-by-case basis. A positive acid-fast stained smear usually indicates infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis; If the results of bacterial culture and nucleic acid amplification tests are also positive, the initial diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis can be made.

1. Acid-fast stained smear test only: Acid-fast stained smear test is a method to detect the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the patient's respiratory specimens, which is simple, rapid and highly accurate.However, due to the potential for false positives, further tests are needed to confirm the diagnosis.

2. Bacterial culture and nucleic acid detection: If the patient has undergone bacterial culture and nucleic acid testing in addition to acid-fast staining smear examination, and the results are positive, the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis can be basically confirmed. Because pulmonary tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, it mainly invades the trachea, bronchi and parietal pleura, and the main clinical manifestations are low-grade fever, fatigue, night sweats, dry cough or a small amount of mucus sputum.

It is recommended that patients seek medical attention in a timely manner, improve relevant examinations under the guidance of doctors, such as chest X-ray, CT, etc., and actively cooperate with doctors to avoid delaying the condition. In daily life, we should also pay attention to maintaining good living habits, avoiding staying up late, and ensuring sufficient sleep time, which can help promote physical recovery.