title: [Thin layer agar represents a cost-effective alternative for the rapid diagnosis of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Using cost-benefit analysis for comparing the thin-layer agar culture method to the standard multiple proportion method used in diagnosing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB).
  
  
  METHODS
  A cost-benefit evaluation of two diagnostic tests was made at the Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB) in Medellín, Colombia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  100 patients were evaluated; 10.8% rifampicin resistance and 14.3% isoniazid resistance were found. A computer-based decision tree model was used for cost-effectiveness analysis (Treeage Pro); the thin-layer agar culture method was most cost-effective, having 100% sensitivity, specificity and predictive values for detecting rifampicin and isoniazid resistance. The multiple proportion method value was calculated as being US$ 71 having an average 49 day report time compared to US$ 18 and 14 days for the thin-layer agar culture method.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  New technologies have been developed for diagnosing tuberculosis which are apparently faster and more effective; their operating characteristics must be evaluated as must their effectiveness in terms of cost-benefit. The present study established that using thin-layer agar culture was cheaper, equally effective and could provide results more quickly than the traditional method. This implies that a patient could receive MDR TB treatment more quickly.
authors.affiliation: Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB), Bogotá, Colombia, sara.rojasji@alfa.upb.edu.co.
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hernández-Sarmiento
authors.affiliation: Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Bogotá, Colombia, jrobledo@cib.org.co.
authors.forename: Milton A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Martínez-Negrete
authors.affiliation: Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB), Bogotá, Colombia, sara.rojasji@alfa.upb.edu.co.
authors.forename: Diana M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Castrillón-Velilla
authors.affiliation: Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB), Bogotá, Colombia, sara.rojasji@alfa.upb.edu.co.
authors.forename: Sergio A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mejía-Espinosa
authors.affiliation: Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB), Bogotá, Colombia, sara.rojasji@alfa.upb.edu.co.
authors.forename: Gloria I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Mejía-Mesa
authors.affiliation: Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Bogotá, Colombia, jrobledo@cib.org.co.
authors.forename: Elsa M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Zapata-Fernández
authors.affiliation: Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB), Bogotá, Colombia, sara.rojasji@alfa.upb.edu.co.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rojas-Jiménez
authors.affiliation: Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB), Bogotá, Colombia, sara.rojasji@alfa.upb.edu.co.
authors.forename: Andrés E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Marín-Castro
authors.affiliation: Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB), Bogotá, Colombia, sara.rojasji@alfa.upb.edu.co.
authors.forename: Jaime A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Robledo-Restrepo
mesh_terms: D000362:Agar / Q000191:economics*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003470:Culture Media / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D013997:Time Factors; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D000362:Agar