External quality assessment in antimicrobial susceptibility testing (EUCAST disc diffusion methodology) of five
Michael Buhl1, Jette Jung2, Catalina-Suzana Stingu3
1Institute of Clinical Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Klinikum Nürnberg, Paracelsus Medical University, Nuremberg, Germany.
Abstract:
This study evaluated the performance of antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) for anaerobic bacteria among 35 clinical microbiology laboratories in Germany and Austria through an interlaboratory comparison (ILC) challenge. A panel of five anaerobic bacterial strains (two Bacteroides fragilis, and one each of Phocaeicola vulgatus, Clostridium perfringens and Fusobacterium necrophorum) was tested by the participating laboratories against a panel of antibiotics (piperacillin-tazobactam, meropenem, metronidazole, clindamycin and/or benzylpenicillin) using the EUCAST disc diffusion methodology. This method was evaluated in comparison with the standard reference method, and categorical agreement with expected results was high (≥90 %), with notable exceptions for piperacillin-tazobactam (88.6 % and 80.0 % in two of the five strains, respectively). The observed discrepancies underscore that the method requires local technical expertise in combination not only with continuous internal quality control but also with external quality assurance.
More Related Videos
11:25Preparation of a Blood Culture Pellet for Rapid Bacterial Identification and Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing
Published on: October 15, 2014
09:07Author Spotlight: Accelerating Diagnostic Accuracy with Direct Identification of Gram-Negatives from Blood Culture Bottles
Published on: May 24, 2024
Related Concept Videos
Testing Water Quality
Assessment of Diffusion and Perfusion
The Role of Diffusion in Respiration
Diffusion is the process by which molecules move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. In the respiratory system, this...
Diffusion
Diffusion
Antimicrobial Effectiveness
Work Done on a System by External Force
In the presence of a non-conservative opposing force, like friction, some part of the work done...
