Analisis pemeriksaan tes cepat molekuler untuk deteksi tuberkulosis: studi di laboratorium Hasanuddin University Medical Research Center (HUMRC), tahun 2023=Analysis of molecular rapid test examination for tuberculosis detection: a study at the Hasanuddin University Medical Research Center (HUMRC) year 2023

Background: TB is still a serious global health concern, especially in high-burden nations like Indonesia. To stop its spread and identify drug-resistant TB (DR-TB), prompt and precise diagnosis is essential. A rapid molecular diagnostic method that is recommended by the WHO is Xpert MTB/RIF assay simultaneously detects rifampicin resistance (RR-TB) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) at the same time. Objective: To assess the prevalence of MTB and the rate of rifampicin-resistant TB among suspected patients using the GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay at Hasanuddin University Medical Research Center (HUMRC) during the year 2023. Methods: 217 clinical samples that collected in 2023 were used in a retrospective descriptive study. Data were retrieved from laboratory records; the complete records containing full MTB and rifampicin results were only examined and analyzed. The distribution of bacterial loads, rifampicin resistance status, and detection rates were computed using descriptive statistics. Results: Out of 217 tested samples, 214 (98.6%) gives valid results. MTB was found in 43 cases (20.1%), with a marginally higher detection rate in males (10.7%) compared to females (9.3%), though this difference was not statistically significant. Bacterial load varied among different samples representing as: 39.5% medium load, 23.3% very low, 20.9% low, and 16.3% high. Among the MTB-detected cases, 86% were rifampicin-sensitive, while 14% show indeterminate rifampicin results. No rifampicin resistance was detected. Conclusion: With a moderate positivity rate and no evidence of rifampicin resistance in the study population, the GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay showed reliable performance in MTB detection. Although the recommended for TB screening and diagnosis, indeterminate results should be carefully interpreted and integrated cousinly by clinical or other diagnostic techniques, particularly in cases with low bacterial loads and extra-pulmonary cases.