DIN 58943-32:2011-03

Unlike with other bacteria, with mycobacteria it is very hard, even by applying a mixture of hydrochloric acid and alcohol, to de-stain them after they have been stained with special dyes; this is due to the bacteria's cell wall structure. The microscopic detection of so-called acid-fast rod-shaped bacteria can, therefore, very likely be equated with the detection of mycobacteria. This standard applies to microscopic examinations for the purposes of detecting mycobacteria in human specimens. The standard has been prepared by Working Committee NA 063-05-03 AA "Tuberkulose- und Mykobakteriendiagnostik" ("Diagnosis of tuberculosis and mycobacteria") of the Medical Standards Committee at DIN, the German Institute for Standardization e. V., in cooperation with the Arbeitskreis Mykobakterien (AKM) ("Working Group on Mycobacteria"). The AKM is a panel of experts based in the German-speaking area which, among other things, coordinates studies regarding mycobacteriological diagnostics.