More extensive findings on chest roentgenograms were not associated with a significantly higher yield of smear positivity in the AIDS/ARC group. Further, greater than or equal to 5 negative smears were found in 60 percent of the evaluable AIDS/ARC patients compared with just 13 percent of control subjects (p less than 0.01). The initial sputum smear submitted was positive in only 29 percent of the AIDS/ARC group compared with 61 percent of control subjects (p less than 0.01).
Significantly fewer AIDS/ARC patients, 45 percent, however, had a positive acid-fast smear compared with the control group, 81 percent (p less than 0.001). culture-positive sputum samples evaluated per patient was similar in both groups (3.82 +/- 3.11 AIDS/ARC vs 4.47 +/- 2.83 control group). A control group consisted of 57 non-AIDS/ARC patients, who also did not belong to an AIDS risk group, diagnosed during the same period.
To assess the utility of acid-fast smears of pulmonary secretions in this patient population, we evaluated 38 AIDS/ARC patients with culture-positive pulmonary infection. Pulmonary tuberculosis in AIDS/ARC patients is an increasing problem.
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