Antimicrobial susceptibility testing in India - a status survey

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Clinical Pharmacy
• Public Health

Background:

• Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global threat in bacterial pathogens.
• Accurate antimicrobial susceptibility testing is vital for predicting treatment effectiveness.
• The Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method, following NCCLS standards, provides reliable results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the performance standards of antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
• To identify areas for improvement in antimicrobial susceptibility testing procedures.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted by the National Institute of Biologicals between 1999 and 2000.
• The survey focused on evaluating the adherence to standard procedures in antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

Main Results:

• Findings highlighted significant variations in the performance of antimicrobial susceptibility tests.
• The study indicated an urgent need for standardized quality control measures.

Conclusions:

• Establishing a national quality control laboratory is essential.
• This laboratory should provide performance standards, reference strains, and quality antibiotic discs.
• This will ensure reproducible and reliable antimicrobial susceptibility testing results globally.