Laboratory diagnosis of nontuberculous mycobacteria.

In conclusion, it is important to realize that there is no "stand alone" assay for the identification of NTM. Many new species may not be recognized in all assays. Newer molecular tests are more accurate for identification than phenotypic tests and have significantly improved turnaround time. Clinical significance of an isolate should be determined, however, before committing resources for the identification of a mycobacterial isolate to the species level. In addition, there are significant differences in the range and quality of services provided by different laboratories. Today, techniques and equipment are increasingly complex and costly, making it more difficult to upgrade every local laboratory to perform these assays. But because specimen delivery and communication of results can be rapidly and easily achieved, utilization of reference laboratories for rarely performed sophisticated tests is a more practical approach.