Paper Title
Classic Lowenstein-Jensen Culture and Bactec Mgit 960 System in The Diagnosis and Drug Susceptibility of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis from Pulmonary Specimens, at The Pasteur Institute of Algeria

Abstract
Nine hundred and fourteen (914) specimens were collected between January 2016 and April 2017. One hundred and seventy nine (179) cases were reported positive by L-J classical culture and / or BACTEC MGIT 960. Among the 179 cases, 155 were detected by the BACTEC MGIT 960 system, nevertheless, only 123 and 95 specimens, on classic L-J culture and bacilloscopy, respectively were positive. These results confirm the hight susceptibility of BACTEC MGIT 960 in improving the diagnosis of tuberculosis in bacilli-poor specimens, compared to classic culture (p=0.037) and direct examination (p=0.014). With BACTEC MGIT 960, only 29/914 (3.17%) specimens were contaminated (p <0.0001). Keywords - Tuberculosis, BACTEC MGIT 960, Bacilloscopy, Lowenstein-Jensen Culture