Antibacterial susceptibility testing in the clinical laboratory (original) (raw)

The clinical microbiology laboratory has a mandate to provide reliable, accurate susceptibility data in a time frame that is useful to the clinicians requesting the information to optimize clinical outcomes and, when possible, to reduce the emergence of resistance. This mandate is served by selective reporting of results to the ordering clinician from isolates obtained from individual patients and by providing collective data on local prevalence of resistance to be used for empiric therapy. To meet these challenges and responsibilities, clinical microbiologists must continuously assess and update susceptibility testing and reporting strategies. Although classical methods remain the workhorse of susceptibility testing, molecular methods are on the cusp of challenging their primacy.