Drug Resistance
For all patients, the initial M. tuberculosis
isolate should be tested for drug
resistance. It is crucial to identify drug
resistance as early as possible to ensure
effective treatment. Drug susceptibility
patterns should be repeated for patients
who do not respond adequately to
treatment or who have positive culture
results despite 3 months of therapy.
Susceptibility results from laboratories
should be promptly reported to the
primary health care provider and the
state or local TB control program.