Should all suspected tuberculosis cases in high income countries be tested with GeneXpert?

The increasing threat of multidrug-resistanttuberculosis (MDR-TB) poses a seriouschallenge to the control of TB [1]. Rifampicin resistance is a good marker of MDR-TB [2], defined as combined resistance to both rifampicin and isoniazid. GeneXpert ® MTB/RIF [3,4] is a rapid molecular assay for the diagnosis of TB and rifampicin resistance in patient specimens and it can be used close to the point of care with minimal technical expertise [5].
Source: Tuberculosis - Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Source Type: research