The Use of Luciferase-Reporter Phage for Antibiotic-Susceptibility Testing of Mycobacteria
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Prior to this decade, routine antibiotic-susceptibility testing (AST) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates was not advocated (1 ) This policy was predicated on the following assumptions:
| 1. |
The prevalence ofantibiotic resistance is low, occurring primarily among patients previously treated for tuberculosis (TB) who have relapsed,
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| 2. |
Tuberculous infection progresses slowly, so that resistant strains of M tuberctlosis can be treated empirically with sequential therapeutic regimens without incurring great risks; and
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| 3 |
The long delay before AST information is available (6–12 wk) precludes a practical impact on patient care.
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