Introduction to Diagnostic Microbiology Flashcards
Some bacteria/fungi are “always” considered pathogens. Two examples of this are
M. Tuberculosis and Vibrio Cholerae
How many bacteria must be present to be visible?
10^5/mL
hat are three major stains for microscopy?
Gram Stain, Ziehl-Neelson or Kinyoun stain, and immunofluorescent antibody stain
The Ziehl-Neelson or Kinyoun stain is used for
Myobacteria
A broth culture “back up” in highly enriched medium is required for normally
Sterile specimens
What are two rapid bench methods for bacterial identification?
Coagulase tubes and catalase test
What are the three advantages of MALDI-TOF for bacterial identification
Accuracy, speed, and cost
What are two forms of direct antigen detection?
Enzyme Immunoassays (EIAs) and Latex agglutination
What are two examples of EIAs?
Rapid strep and rapid influenza
May be used for identification after culture or to directly test specimens
Molecular diagnostics
Molecular diagnostics such as nucleic acid amplification tests and DNA sequencing or fingerprinting generally exhibit high
Sensitivity and specificity
Has implications for admission decisions, Abx administration, or additional diagnostic testing
Respiratory virus panels
Respiratory virus panels have variable numbers/types of targets and can be either
On demand or batched
Takes approximately 1-2 hours and can test for 14 target pathogens at once
CNS infection panels
Should be interpreted in the context of other laboratory data, i.e. cell count, protein, glucose, and Gram stain
CNS infection testing
The main objective of antimicrobial susceptibility testing is to predict the outcome of
Prescribed drug
Antimicrobial susceptibility testing can also be used to confirm/refute current
Empiric Rx
An infection due to the strain may be appropriately treated with the dosage of anti-microbial agent recommended for that type of infection and species
Susceptible (S)
The MIC approaches usually give attainable blood and tissue levels
-response rate may be lower than susceptible isolates
Intermediate (I) Susceptibility
Applicable in infection sites where the drug is concentrated (like in urine) or high doses can be used (B-lactams)
Intermediate (I) Susceptibility
When strains are not inhibited by usually achievable systemic antimicrobial levels
Resistant (R)
In Resistance (R), the MIC falls in the range where specific microbial resistance mechanisms are likely. For example, with
B-lactamases
Roughly speaking, is equal to the concentration of antimicrobial at the site of infection
Therapeutic Breakpoint or “Breakpoint”
Comparing the MIC to the breakpoint determines
Susceptible-intermediate-resistant interpretation
If the MIC is greater than the breakpoint, then the bacteria is
Resistant (R)
If the MIC is equal to the breakpoint, then the bacteria is
Intermediate (I)
If the MIC is less than the breakpoint, then the bacteria is
Susceptible (S)
What is the typical bacteria load in a patient with bacteremia?
1 cfu/mL
Most positive blood cultures will show in
2 days
If patient has Candida albicans/tropicalis, treat with
Fluconazole