Results of blood cultures for detection of mycobacteria in AIDS patients.

Since the advent of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) numerous M. avium intracellulare disseminated infections have been recognised. Blood culture is a convenient method for diagnosing these infections. At Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital AIDS patients with persistent unexplained fever each had three blood cultures. The blood samples, taken on 3 consecutive days without taking in account fever peaks, were collected in the Isolator-10 lysis-centrifugation system and inoculated onto Löwenstein-Jensen medium with and without 0.25% sodium pyruvate. From February 1986-September 1987, 564 samples taken from 165 patients were cultivated for the detection of mycobacteria. Sixty one (10.8%) taken from 19 patients (11.5%) were positive. M. avium intracellulare was the most frequently isolated mycobacterial species. In 10 patients, the positive blood culture was the only or the first positive culture for mycobacteria.