Antimicrobial resistance is a serious public health problem at the global level. The sensitivity test in liquid and solid media-based techniques is traditionally used in Brazil for the diagnosis of resistant tuberculosis (TB). However, the time required for the diagnosis of this test is, on average, 60 (sixty) days, a period considered to be very high, especially considering certain vulnerable populations (street dwellers), since the long time to the result of the test makes it difficult to establish a second contact between the health institution and the individual, resulting in people without access to diagnosis and appropriate treatment. The line probe assay (LPA) technique often replaces the use of the sensitivity test in many countries, being considered of low time for the diagnosis, ranging from 24 to 48 hours.

We searched the Medline databases (via Pubmed), Embase, and The Cochrane Library, with the aim of finding systematic reviews with meta-analyses. The articles were screened by titles and abstracts and later the full text reading was carried out, according to the inclusion criteria.

Three systematic reviews with meta-analysis were selected. The interventions evaluated the LPA technique compared to the conventional drug sensitivity test. The evaluated tests showed good performance as rapid screening tests for resistance to rifampicin in high prevalence sites. However, although the test results for resistance to isoniazid showed good specificity, there was a high variability in sensitivity estimates.

This study reinforces the idea that the LPA technique may contribute to the previous diagnosis, and this is a probable strategy to control the disease, especially in vulnerable populations that are more likely to be affected by tuberculosis. For a broader analysis of the benefit of the technique, further studies are suggested.