Diagnosing XDR TB

Andrew Speaker’s diagnosis was downgraded. Now Robert Daniels, who was being held under armed guard, also doesn’t have XDR TB. Seems there is tremendous difficulty in pinning down this dangerous diagnosis:

Nevertheless, labs testing for drug resistance often come to different results, said Charles Daley, who oversees TB care at the Denver hospital that re-diagnosed both patients. He discussed Speaker’s case earlier this month. “It happens all of the time “¦ and it’s a frustration that we have to deal with,” he said. “In this particular setting, I don’t know why the first result showed XDR to CDC “¦ and our results did not.”