ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Infectious Diseases: Pathogenesis and Therapy
Exploration of factors associated with turnaround time when evaluating nontuberculous mycobacterium cultures
Xingxing Lou
sheng zhao
Sipei Wang
Shanshan Jin
tinghua ye
Xinling Pan
Dongyang People’s Hospital, Dongyang, China
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Abstract
Abstract Background: A positive culture of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is a key diagnostic criterion for NTM disease. Due to the slow growth rate of NTM, the turnaround time (TAT) for culture specimens is often lengthy, posing significant challenges for the diagnosis and treatment of related diseases. This study aimed to explore factors influencing TAT in NTM culture testing, assess its potential clinical value, and identify ways to expedite clinical decision-making. Methods: NTMs obtained by sequencing in a tertiary hospital from June 2022 to May 2024 were selected, and corresponding patient data were collected. TAT was defined as the time between specimen receipt and report issuance. Differences in TAT between groups were analyzed using the rank-sum test. Correlations were evaluated via Spearman’s correlation analysis, and a generalized linear model was applied to identify independent factors influencing TAT. Results: A total of 289 NTM strain were finally enrolled in this study, including rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM, n = 22) and slow-growing mycobacteria (SGM, n = 267). The median TAT for RGM was 7 days, compared to 11 days for SGM, a significant difference (P < 0.001). Representative species within RGM and SGM also showed significant TAT discrepancies. Patients with NTM pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, or cavitation had shorter median TATs (8-9 days) compared to those without such findings (P < 0.05). TAT showed a negative correlation with acid-fast bacilli smear grades (correlation coefficient: -0.490, P < 0.001), and acid-fast bacilli smear result was confirmed as the only determinant of TAT in the multiple regression model (Wald χ² = 39.71, P < 0.001). Conclusion: TAT for NTM culture was significantly influenced by species category, with RGM showing shorter TATs than SGM. Variations in TAT were observed among different species within the same complex. Additionally, TAT was associated with clinical diagnoses and imaging findings. Acid-fast bacilli smear result was the only independent factor affecting TAT, which could help to guide clinical workflow optimization.
Summary
Keywords
Acid-fast bacilli, Clinical laboratory, culture, Non-tuberculous mycobacteria, Rapidly growing mycobacteria, Slow-growing mycobacteria, Turnaround time
Received
13 December 2025
Accepted
10 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Lou, zhao, Wang, Jin, ye and Pan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Xinling Pan
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