• R Kurup and K Chester.
• Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus, Georgetown, Guyana. kuruprajini@yahoo.com.
• W Indian Med J. 2014 Jan 1; 63 (1): 34-9.

ObjectiveTo describe laboratory personnel's attitude and practices toward phenol exposure during Ziehl Neelsen (ZN) acid fast staining method and to evaluate the feasibility of an alternate modified Kinyoun cold (MKC) stain.MethodA total of 187 sputum samples were collected from suspected tuberculosis cases and stained by the MKC method and ZN stain and were read by an experienced microscopist and a researcher. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey of 35 laboratory personnel was also conducted.ResultsModified Kinyoun cold stain gave sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 100%, 99.4%, 94.1% and 100%, respectively. Both stains corresponded with an agreement rate of 99.5%. Almost 94.7% of respondents reported that they worked in a closed area when staining and 57.1% did the staining method without ventilation. Material safety data sheet (MSDS) of phenol was not known to 77.1% of laboratory personnel. All of the participants (100%) in this study welcomed a similar, non heating method for acid-fast bacillus (AFB). There was significant association between those not comfortable with phenol exposure (77.1%) and complaints of irritation (48.6%) and headache (2.9%) [c2 = 10.98, r = 0.55, p = 0.001].ConclusionsThe MKC is suitable for use as a substitute for the ZN method for the demonstration of AFB in the primary diagnosis and treatment assessment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Focus should be given on educating laboratory staff on the hazards, risks and precautions associated with the phenol/ZN method.

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