Dear Editor

Whilst one must of course take into account the mortality figures whilst treating multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, there may be other aspects that need to be studied. The collegues would to well perhaps to address some part of their research to the mortality of those patients who had been prescribed for a protected period antituberculous chemotherapy: (this can be for up to two years), and who have been misdiagnosed. There are understandable reasons for the policy of treating asap. But everyone should be aware of the possibility of unnecessarily rushing to treat.