Quality assurance of antimicrobial susceptibility testing by disc diffusion

摘要: Quality assurance is essential to ensure the quality of antimicrobial susceptibility tests by diffusion methods. Routine internal control testing with a range strains major part process, as it facilitates monitoring performance test. Most standardized methods include tables acceptable zone size ranges for and, in addition checking that diameters are within published ranges, rules or statistical approaches may be applied indicate deviations from performance. If unacceptable performance, source(s) error should investigated and problems media, discs, inoculum plate reading. Participation external assessment schemes provides an independent although number distributed such limited. Internal which routine repeated identity organisms blinded useful complementary approach detect problem areas not highlighted other Education important process. Knowledge atypical results different organism-agent combinations provide warning possibly erroneous results, understanding limitations sources disc contributes significantly recognition, resolution avoidance errors.