Table 3. Impact of examining only one specimen instead of two for culture during follow-up of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis patients, India, 2008–09.

Patient ID	Results of monthly serial culture examinations during thecourse of MDR-TB treatment*	Final treatment outcome	Clinical impact
1-2-002	–011101–-1–1–-1-1––-1–	Failure	No
1-2-007	–11111111–––––––––-	Death	No
1-2-008	–00000-1–1–1111–0–1––-	Failure	No
1-2-034	–0100100––-0–1–1––––	Death	No
1-2-040	–-10000-1–1–1–1–––––	Death	No
1-2-049	–-111111––-1–1–1–1–1–	Failure	No
1-2-056	–00001-0–0–0–0–0–0––-	Cured	No
1-2-061	–10-0–1–0–0––-0–0––-	Cured	No
1-2-065	–1111–1-1–-1–1–1–1––-	Failure	No
1-2-066	–100–-0–0–0-1–-1–1––-	Failure	No
2-1-009	–1111–1–1–0–1–1–1–1–	Failure	No
2-2-001	–11100000-0–0–0–0–0–0–	Cured	No
2-2-008	–1011––––1–––––––	Death	Yes**
2-2-010	–1110100-1–1–0–1––––-	Treatment completed	No
2-2-015	–11111110-1–0–1–––––-	Death	No
2-2-016	–1000–0–1–1–1–1–1––-	Failure	No
2-2-022	–11101-1–1–1–1––-1–1–	Failure	No
2-2-023	–111000101–1–1–1–1–1–-	Failure	Yes**
2-2-024	–1111111–1–1–1–––0––	Treatment completed	No
2-2-026	–1111-100-0–0–-0-0–0–0–	Cured	Yes**

^*These are the results of follow-up culture examinations starting from month 1 to month 29 as applicable. 1 indicates culture positive result, 0 indicates culture negative result and “–” indicates either follow-up not done or not applicable; 1 indicates positive culture results which would have been missed if only one specimen had been examined.

^**Would have missed extending Intensive phase of treatment by one month.