Fast and accurate diagnostic tests serve as vital role for detecting active tuberculosis, particularly in endemic countries like India. Since 2020, the World Health Organization is urging the usage of Truenat MTB Plus assay, a quick molecular test, as a first step in the detection of tuberculosis (TB). In order to guide future recommendations, the WHO emphasized the necessity of further assessing assay performance, including in individuals with HIV. The Truenat MTB/RIF molecular method is operated on rechargeable batteries, point-of-care, chip-based Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) micro device. In contrast to smear microscopy and solid culture, the Truenat MTB/RIF screening test's diagnostic accuracy in detecting pulmonary tuberculosis is to be assessed in this study. Over the period of a year prospective cross-sectional study is carried, where samples from suspected TB cases that met the inclusion criteria were subjected to Truenat RTPCR for MTB and LJ Cuture for MTB. The study was conducted in Govt. Chest disease Hospital, Jammu, J&K. A total 384 sample collected in this study and about 13.2% and 86.7% of the subjects were detected to be positive and negative LJ Culture and 15.6% and 84.3% were detected to be positive and negative by truenat respectively. Truenat was used as a gold standard to test the diagnostic efficacy of ZN staining and solid culture. TrueNat detected 64 positive specimens whereas LJ culture detected only 60 positive specimens. the Truenat MTB test is an affordable, quick molecular test that has good sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, LJ Culture, Truenat.