Antibiotic susceptibility testing methods and emerging bacterial resistance in hospitals
John MerlinoASM Antimicrobial SIG Chair/Convenor
Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology
Faculty of Medicine
University of Sydney
Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Concord Hospital, NSW Pathology
Email: JMerlino@med.usyd.edu.au
Microbiology Australia 35(1) 9-12 https://doi.org/10.1071/MA14004
Published: 10 February 2014
Abstract
Clinical microbiology laboratories, whether in hospitals or private institutions, have the important task of performing antimicrobial susceptibility testing on significant bacterial pathogens isolated from a variety of specimens. The aim of all this testing is to detect possible emerging antimicrobial drug resistance in unusual and common pathogens so that infections are treated with the appropriate antibiotics. Microbiologists and clinicians in hospitals are today more dependent on results from in vitro susceptibility testing. This signifies the importance of the diagnostic laboratory in clinical medicine. Hospital laboratories have the responsibility of reporting the antimicrobial agent(s) that are most appropriate for the organism(s) isolated, for the site of infection and the hospital pharmacy formulary.
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