Published: 4 February 2013
The world's only diagnostic tool that can detect multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) in less than two hours time instead of the present method than can take up to two months, has passed the litmus test. The Xpert MTB test that is presently being analysed by India has been found to accurately and quickly detect TB. A review published on Friday, which assessed the diagnostic accuracy of the test was found to simultaneously detect TB and resistance to rifampicin, as an indicator of MDR. […] The researchers, from the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group, Ï㽶ÊÓƵ and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), analysed data from 18 studies involving 7816 people and found that when Xpert is used to screen 1,000 people,150 of whom have TB, it picks up 132 of the 150 cases (88%) and falsely diagnoses 17 (2%) with TB.