Bacteriological proficiency testing in Hungarian clinical microbiology laboratories

Area of Science:

• Clinical Microbiology
• Medical Laboratory Science

Background:

• Proficiency testing programs are crucial for assessing laboratory performance.
• Clinical microbiology laboratories handle diverse bacterial specimens, including those requiring specialized techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the performance of clinical microbiology laboratories in bacterial isolation, identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
• To identify common areas of failure in laboratory practices.

Main Methods:

• A proficiency testing program was conducted in 1989 involving 47 clinical microbiology laboratories.
• Laboratories received freeze-dried bacterial cultures for routine testing procedures.

Main Results:

• Nine public health and one hospital laboratory achieved excellent results.
• Four public health and ten hospital laboratories performed at a medium level, while four hospital laboratories did not meet this standard.
• Common errors included insufficient anaerobic cultivation, unreliable bacterial identification, and neglected controls in drug susceptibility testing.

Conclusions:

• Significant deficiencies exist in anaerobic cultivation and bacterial identification methods within clinical microbiology laboratories.
• There is a need for improved quality control and adherence to protocols in antimicrobial susceptibility testing.