[Antimicrobial susceptibility cumulative reports].

Area of Science:

• Clinical Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) data are crucial for effective treatment selection and antimicrobial stewardship programs.
• Standardized reporting of AST data is essential for educational purposes and establishing clinical breakpoints.
• Current practices may introduce bias, necessitating refined methodologies for data collection and presentation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline best practices for generating cumulative antimicrobial susceptibility test reports.
• To ensure the reliability and clinical relevance of AST data used in reports.
• To provide guidelines for data selection and presentation to minimize bias and maximize utility.

Main Methods:

• Emphasize the use of diagnostic, not surveillance, samples for AST data.
• Recommend validation of data by clinical microbiologists.
• Advocate for including only the first isolate per patient within a defined period to prevent bias.
• Suggest a minimum of 30 isolates per species for statistical validity.

Main Results:

• Cumulative AST reports facilitate informed empirical treatment choices.
• Standardized data collection ensures the educational value of AST reports.
• Methodological recommendations aim to produce statistically robust and unbiased susceptibility data.
• Reports are typically presented in tables detailing microorganism-antimicrobial agent interactions.

Conclusions:

• Rigorous methodology in AST data collection and reporting is vital for clinical decision-making.
• Adherence to recommended practices enhances the accuracy and utility of cumulative susceptibility reports.
• Standardized cumulative AST reports serve as critical tools for antimicrobial stewardship and clinical microbiology.