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SUSCEPTIBILITY TESTING FOR RAPIDLY GROWING MYCOBACTERIA

Synonym(s):

​Mycobacterium, Rapid Grower, Susceptibility Test

Lab Section Category

Description

Indications

Specimen Required

​For mycobacteria isolated in CTBL or in other laboratories

Storage and Transport

​Isolates identified in referring labs must specify the organism’s identification and clinical source on the lab request form. For further instructions on packing, refer under IDENTIFICATION OF MYCOBACTERIA.

Method

​Microbroth dilution

Test Results

​Susceptible, Intermediate, Resistant, according to CLSI interpretive criteria

Reference Interval / Value

Turnaround Time

​1 - 2 weeks

Day(s) Test Set up

​Once a week

Remarks

​Drugs tested: Amikacin, cefoxitin, ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin*, doxycycline, imipenem**, linezolid, tobramycin***, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and moxifloxacin. Tigecycline MICs are provided only upon request as there are no interpretative guidelines.

*Class representative for newer macrolides e.g. azithromycin. For the detection of the erm gene which causes inducible resistance to macrolides, a preliminary result is issued if the isolate is susceptible after Day 5 of incubation, followed by a final result after Day 14.
 

Identification of M. abscessus to the subspecies level (M. abscessus subsp abscessus, M. abscessus subsp massiliense, and M. abscessus subsp bolletti) is advised as the resistance mechanisms and profiles may vary according to the subspecies. The Hain NTM-DR identification test is chargeable and must requested by the ordering clinician.


 ** Not predictive of results for meropenem or ertapenem as the activity against rapidly growing mycobacteria is greater for imipenem than for meropenem or ertapenem.

***M. chelonae from eye cultures only.

Change History Notes

Others

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