Study of respiratory Tract Fungal co-infection in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis

Abstract

Background: Fungal pulmonary infection has been emerging recently due to widely used broad-spectrum antibiotics and steroids. Due to immune deficiency or suppression in tuberculosis (TB), patients are easily vulnerable to opportunistic fungal infections. The aim of the present study was to isolate fungi from sputum samples of pulmonary tuberculosis  patients which may help in the correct diagnosis of these patients.

Materials and Methods: A total of 152 pulmonary tuberculosis patients were included in the study. Sputum samples were collected and subjected to Gram staining , KOH mount, India ink  ,  cultured on Sabouraud’s Dextrose Agar , subculture of candida SDA to CHROM agar , Urease test  and final identification of candida were subjected to VITEK-2.

Result : in the present study , out of 150 sputum samples positive for pulmonary tuberculosis , 52 (35.33%) were positive for fungal infections of which 44 , 1 and 7 were Candida , Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus species respectively.