Qualification of Microbiological Laboratory Personnel and Equipment

Author(s):  
Robert Schwarz
2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 21-27
Author(s):  
S. D. Mitrokhin ◽  
O. E. Orlova ◽  
I. V. Gosteva ◽  
A. S. Shkoda

One of the tasks of the hospital-s clinical pharmacologists service is to continuously monitor the consumption of antimicrobial drugs (DDD analysis) depending on the microbiological and epidemiological situation in the hospital. This is necessary for the implementation of various medical programs and technologies aimed at reducing the selection pressure of antimicrobial drugs and reducing the risk of the emergence, accumulation, and spread of bacteria strains with multiple and/or extreme drug resistance to these drugs in the hospital environment. To date, some medical institutions, especially in the various regions of the Russian Federation, do not have a proper team of clinical pharmacologists and a modern, well-equipped and computerized microbiological laboratory. This does not allow full implementation of the above-mentioned programs in such hospitals, e. g. Antimicrobial therapy monitoring system — SСAT and technologies, e. g. «carbapenem-preserving technologies» and «microbiological monitoring».


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Andrew Nii Adzei Bekoe ◽  
Emmanuel Alote Allotey ◽  
Elliot Elikplim Akorsu ◽  
Albert Abaka-Yawson ◽  
Samuel Adusei ◽  
...  

Background. Malaria remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where it is endemic. As such, it is important that a proper diagnosis is made before treatment is initiated. Malaria parasite count plays a key role in the diagnosis and management of malaria. Variations in ratings by laboratory personnel can impact negatively on the treatment regimen for malaria-infected patients. The study is thus aimed at evaluating and comparing the proficiency and parasitaemia counts by two different categories of laboratory staff at the LEKMA Hospital, Ghana. Materials and Methods. A total of 200 confirmed malaria-positive samples were used in the study. Six thick and thin films were prepared from each sample and uniquely labelled. Two of the six slides were given to two WHO-accredited malaria microscopists to examine and report their respective parasite count/μl ( parasite   count / WBC × 8000 ). These were used as the reference for the two categories of laboratory staffs: rater A being diploma holders (Technical Officers referred to as untrained rater) and rater B being degree holders (Medical Laboratory Scientist referred to as trained rater) at the LEKMA Hospital. Results. In comparison to the expected outcome, the parasite count by the rater group A (190 (151-239)]) and the rater group B (177 (140-224)) demonstrated significant positive correlation ( r = 0.995 , p < 0.0001 vs. r = 0.995 , p < 0.0001 , respectively) with the expected outcome in the cases of heavy parasitaemia. A statistically significant difference ( p < 0.05 ) between counts by the different raters in low parasitemia was observed in this study. A persistent nosedive inter-rater agreement from k = 0.82 to k = 0.40 with increasing density cutoff was observed in this study. Conclusion. The study observed that the degree of inter-rater agreement of parasite density count by various categories of laboratory personnel is almost perfect. However, the parasite count between raters varied significantly with very low levels of parasitemia but better correlated with heavy parasitemia.


2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. e13-e18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob M Vigil ◽  
Lauren N Rowell ◽  
Joe Alcock ◽  
Randy Maestes

BACKGROUND: There is no standardized method for cold pressor pain tasks across experiments. Temperature, apparatus and aspects of experimenters vary widely among studies. It is well known that experimental pain tolerance is influenced by setting as well as the sex of the experimenter. It is not known whether other contextual factors influence experimental pain reporting.OBJECTIVES: The present two-part experiment examines whether minimizing and standardizing interactions with laboratory personnel (eg, limiting interaction with participants to consenting and questions and not during the actual pain task) eliminates the influence of examiner characteristics on subjective pain reports and whether using different cold pain apparatus (cooler versus machine) influences reports.METHODS:The present experiment manipulated the gender of the experimenter (male, female and transgender) and the type of cold pressor task (CPT) apparatus (ice cooler versus refrigerated bath circulator). Participants conducted the CPT at one of two pain levels (5°C or 16°C) without an experimenter present.RESULTS:Men and women showed lower pain sensitivity when they were processed by biological male personnel than by biological female personnel before the CPT. Women who interacted with a transgendered researcher likewise reported higher pain sensitivity than women processed by biological male or female researchers. The type of CPT apparatus, despite operating at equivalent temperatures, also influenced subjective pain reports.DISCUSSION: The findings show that even minimal interactions with laboratory personnel who differ in gender, and differences in laboratory materials impact the reliable measurement of pain.CONCLUSION: More standardized protocols for measuring pain across varying research and clinical settings should be developed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 527-533
Author(s):  
Roberta Ariboni Brandi ◽  
Adriana Moraes de Oliveira Tribucci ◽  
Júlio César de Carvalho Balieiro ◽  
Ricardo Luiz Moro de Souza ◽  
Alfredo Manuel Franco Pereira ◽  
...  

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the effect of diets containing increasing levels of citrus pulp on the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of horses feces. Five mares, at an average age of 3.5 years old and body weight of 492 ± 44.5 kg were arranged in a 5 x 5 Latin Square. The experimental diet consisted of 60% coast-cross hay and 40 % of concentrate with increasing levels of citrus pulp (0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 %). To determine the fecal pH, samples were collected directly from the floor, immediately after defecation, in the first feces of the day at 07:00 a.m., and color and fecal consistency were evaluated. For microbiological analysis, an aliquot was reserved in plastic bags, frozen, and sent to the microbiological laboratory for further analysis. Lactic acid bacteria were counted for Lactobacillus spp. and Streptococcus spp. from fecal samples under anaerobic conditions. The diet produced differences (P<0.05) in feces consistency: 98% of the animals had normal and firm stools, while 2% were loose ruminant-type feces. We observed no difference (P<0.05) for color, verifying 100% of the animals of greenish feces, normal for equines. There was no effect (P>0.05) on pH and on the number of Lactobacillus spp. and Streptococcus spp. The inclusion of up to 28% citrus pulp concentrates for horses did not promote change in the physicochemical characteristics and on the population of lactic acid-producing bacteria in feces.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-98
Author(s):  
Vladimir E Nikitchenko ◽  
Ekaterina O Rystsova ◽  
Anastasiya N Chernysheva

At all stages of the production of microbiological nutrient media (MNM), the manufacturer, and in particular, the microbiological laboratories that manufacture the media on site, face many operational risks. The presence of such risks, in almost every critical point of production and further operation of the MNM, is due to the presence of common basic requirements for all MNM, which must be taken into account and respected during their development and preparation; as well as the complexity and laboriousness of the very process of manufacturing high-quality differential-diagnostic and other nutrient media, requiring the availability of all the components necessary for preparing these media, equipment, sterile conditions and qualified personnel. In this regard, there is a need to search for effective methods to identify and prevent undesirable situations associated with the production and use of MNM. The aim of this work was to adapt the risk assessment methodology based on the expert method for analyzing the types and consequences of FMEA failures (Failure Mode Effect Analysis) set out in GOST R ISO 31010-2011 for the needs of microbiological laboratories, including those for veterinary and sanitary expertise, producing microbiological nutrient environments and using them. As part of this work, a comparative analysis of risk assessment methods was carried out in order to select the optimal one; adaptation of the QMS principle - risk-oriented thinking and the FMEA method for risk assessment in the implementation of MNM manufacturing processes in a microbiological laboratory (for example, solid agar media); risk assessment protocol forms were developed; calculations of a quantitative assessment of risk levels were carried out in order to determine the need for preventive actions and their implementation in order to minimize the negative consequences of risk in case of its implementation using the developed protocols. The results showed that this technique can be successfully implemented and used in the claimed area.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Titiek Sulistyowati ◽  
Deby Kusumaningrum ◽  
Eko Budi Koendhori ◽  
Ni Made Mertaniasih

Background: Tuberculosis continues one of the major challenges to global health. Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex can affect any organ other than the lung parenchyma, include central nervous system. The mortality rate of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) are high worldwide with up to half of survivors suffering irreversible sequelae. Diagnosis of TBM is difficult due to paucibacillary, various clinical manifestation, and invasive procedure to appropriate specimens. Objective: The objectiveis to study the positivity rate of microbiological laboratory diagnosis and its drug sensitivity patterns of TBM patients in Dr. Soetomo Hospital Surabaya during October 2015 until September 2016. Methods: Specimens were cerebrospinal fluids. Identification and drug anti TB sensitivity test were done by BACTEC MGIT 960 system in Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Dr. Soetomo Hospital Surabaya. Result: Most patients with TBM were women (54.29%). Based on age groups, most dominant was adult population (65.71%). Proportion percentage of positive M. tuberculosis complex among 180 specimens were 19.44%. First line anti TB drug sensitivity pattern of 35 isolates were 1 monoresistant, 1 poly-resistant, no multiple drug resistant (MDR), and 33 pan-susceptible. Conclusion: Positivity rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex laboratory diagnosis from TBM suspect patients were low. There was no MDR TB in this study, but mono-resistant and poly-resistant. Microbiological diagnosis was important to give information of active disease and drug sensitivity pattern. Resistance to first line anti TB drugs is alarming to properly manage TBM patients.


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