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MYCOBACTERIA: LABORATORY METHODS FOR TESTING DRUG SENSITIVITY AND RESISTANCE
Bulletin of the World Health Organization
|January 1, 1963
Summary
This study addresses the need for standardized drug resistance testing in tuberculosis. It summarizes recommendations for reliable sensitivity tests against key antituberculosis drugs.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology
Background:
- The World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Tuberculosis highlighted the need for international standards in drug resistance determination in 1960.
- Lack of standardized methods hindered accurate comparisons of drug resistance across different geographical areas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish international standards for defining and determining drug resistance in tuberculosis.
- To formulate prerequisites for reliable sensitivity testing and specify technical procedures.
Main Methods:
- Convened an international meeting of tuberculosis bacteriology specialists in Geneva, December 1961.
- Summarized general conclusions and recommendations for sensitivity testing against isoniazid, streptomycin, and p-aminosalicylic acid.
- Described three distinct drug sensitivity testing methods: absolute-concentration, resistance-ratio, and proportion methods.
Main Results:
- Developed consensus on general conclusions and recommendations for standardized drug sensitivity testing.
- Outlined three methods (absolute-concentration, resistance-ratio, proportion) considered to yield reasonably accurate results.
Conclusions:
- The meeting took a significant step towards standardizing tuberculosis drug resistance testing.
- The proposed methods aim to enable reliable comparisons of drug resistance internationally.