if tuberculosis bacteria are found in the sputum (phlegm) the diagnosis of tb can be made in a day or two but this finding will not be able to distinguish between drug-susceptible (regular) tb and drug-resistant tb. to determine drug susceptibility the bacteria need to be grown and tested in a laboratory. final diagnosis for tb and especially for extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (xdr) may take from six to 16 weeks.
how long does it take to find out if you have extensively drug-resistant (xdr) tuberculosis?