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What is Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing?

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is a laboratory procedure performed by medical technologists (clinical laboratory scientists) to identify which antimicrobial regimen is specifically effective for individual patients.

When did antibiotic susceptibility testing start?

Hence, in 1961, several organizations (especially WHO) made several efforts to address the need for a standardized method for antibiotic susceptibility testing. Later, in the year 1966, Bauer and Kirby’s method was confirmed as a standard method for susceptibility testing.

What are the different types of antimicrobial susceptibility tests?

The interpretation usually categorizes each result as susceptible (S), intermediate (I), resistant (R), sensitive-dose dependent (SD), or no interpretation (NI). Antimicrobial susceptibility tests are used to determine which specific antibiotics a particular bacteria or fungus is sensitive to.

Why do antibiotic susceptibility test results need to be interpreted correctly?

The results of the test must be interpreted correctly to guide appropriate antibiotic therapy. Some of the interpretation challenges include: Ambiguous interpretation criteria: The interpretation criteria for antibiotic susceptibility testing can be ambiguous, leading to inconsistent results.

What are the challenges of antibiotic susceptibility testing?

An inadequate inoculum size can lead to underestimation of bacterial growth or overestimation of susceptibility to antibiotics. Another challenge of antibiotic susceptibility testing is the interpretation of results. The results of the test must be interpreted correctly to guide appropriate antibiotic therapy.

What are the different methods for antibiotic susceptibility testing?

Over the years, different methods have been developed for antibiotic susceptibility testing, including the broth microdilution method, the E-test, and automated systems. These methods have improved the accuracy and speed of antibiotic susceptibility testing.

What Is Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539714/
2. https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/antibiotic-sensitivity-test/
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antibiotic_sensitivity_testing
4. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/overview-of-antibacterial-susceptibility-testing
5. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2103786-overview
6. https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/infectious-diseases/laboratory-diagnosis-of-infectious-disease/susceptibility-testing
7. https://enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jam.14704
8. https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/49/11/1749/344384