Treatment outcome definitions for nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease

What is it about?

NTM-NET, a network of experts on nontuberculous mycobacterial diseases has finally proposed a set of definitions of key outcomes of antibiotic treatment of nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease. In this Consensus Statement, definitions for culture conversion, cure, treatment failure, etc are finally drawn, based on a 5 round drafting and voting process.

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Why is it important?

All trials and case series on nontuberculous mycobacterial disease have used widely different outcome measures and definitions. As a result, meta-analyses of their data are impossible. For these emerging and difficult-to-treat infections, such meta-analyses are direly needed to improve treatment regimens. These definitions help to streamline study design and report and, in turn, facilitate meta-analyses.

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