E-test: an alternative method for susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Med Princ Pract. 2005 Jul-Aug;14(4):264-7. doi: 10.1159/000085747.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the agar proportion method with the E-test method for susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Materials and methods: A total of 100 isolates were tested for isoniazid, rifampin, streptomycin and ethambutol susceptibility using an indirect-proportion method as well as the E-test method.

Results: Categorical agreement between the methods was 100% for isoniazid, rifampin, streptomycin, and ethambutol.

Conclusion: The E-test method appears to be an alternative method to agar proportion for testing the susceptibility of M. tuberculosis isolates to the first-line antituberculous agents.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Agar
  • Antibiotics, Antitubercular / pharmacology*
  • Colony Count, Microbial
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial*
  • Ethambutol / pharmacology*
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Isoniazid / pharmacology*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests / methods*
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / drug effects*
  • Rifampin / pharmacology*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Streptomycin / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Antibiotics, Antitubercular
  • Ethambutol
  • Agar
  • Isoniazid
  • Rifampin
  • Streptomycin