Quality control in microbiology: a review and bibliography

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Clinical Diagnostics

Context:

• Increasing reliance on commercial systems for microbial identification.
• Need for standardized quality control in diagnostic microbiology.
• Manufacturer-driven quality control in identification systems.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the validity, precision, and specificity of commercial microbial identification systems.
• To review individual methods for identifying bacteria and yeasts.
• To assess the performance of bacterial antigen and blood culture systems.

Summary:

• The review critically analyzes the performance of commercially available systems for microbial identification.
• It covers methods for bacteria, yeasts, bacterial antigens, and blood cultures.
• Focuses on the accuracy and reliability of these diagnostic tools.

Impact:

• Aids in selecting appropriate and reliable diagnostic tools for clinical laboratories.
• Highlights areas for improvement in commercial microbial identification technologies.
• Supports informed decision-making in quality control for microbiology labs.