Pathology providers and clinicians have been increasingly relying on sequencing data for detecting resistance to antituberculous agents in Mycobacterium tuberculosis . The reimbursement item MBS 69505 for sequencing and analysis of M. tuberculosis genomes for genome-wide determination of antimicrobial resistance has been in use since 2023. This workshop will help pathologists to understand laboratory workflows for the sequencing and identification of resistance-associated mutations as well as assessment of their clinical relevance. The panel of clinical microbiologists supervising Mycobacterium Reference Laboratories in different states of Australia will discuss current practices of resistome reporting using case scenarios and examples of their impact on treatment selection. Real-life experience in the implementation of the World Health Organization’s Catalogue of mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and their association with drug resistance (2023) and examples of validated laboratory reports will be critically reviewed. Interactive case presentations will include Q&A and live polling and feedback from the workshop participants using audience engagement and the software Slido.
Sintchenko et al. (Sun,) studied this question.