Evaluation of a modified direct agar proportion method for testing susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from MGIT samples.

Background/purpose: The emergence of resistance to anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs has become an obstacle to effective TB control. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify patients and initiate adequate treatment for drug-resistant cases in a timely manner. The BACTEC MGIT 960 system is well known for its rapid culturing time, and is in widespread use in Taiwan.