[Role of a clinical laboratory center as a correlational center for infection control]

The prevention of hospital acquired infection is one of the most critical managements for the maintenance of high clinical quality. Surveillance such as the isolation rate of MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus), MDRP (multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and catheter associated blood stream infection rate are useful tools for infection control. In these surveillances, the clinical laboratory center plays an important role in hospitals. Recent studies have shown that community-acquired MRSA has spread rapidly in the United States and clonal MDRP has also spread in Japan. In our studies, similar genotyped MDRP was isolated from several hospitals in the same region. These results suggested that infection control associated with regional hospitals is important to prevent the spread of antimicrobial resistant pathogens. The clinical laboratory center should also play an important role in regional infection control.