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Partners in Prevention : Raising the Profile of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory in Ongoing HAI Control and Outbreaks
By Kelly M . Pyrek
The clinical microbiology laboratory
( CML ) plays a critical role in the surveillance , treatment , prevention and control of healthcare-acquired infections ( HAI ), working alongside infection preventionists and healthcare epidemiologists . The major importance of medical microbiology is that it helps in the identification , isolation , diagnosis , and treatment of pathogenic microorganisms .
For example , the diagnosis of bloodstream infections ( BSIs ) is one of the most critical functions of CMLs . But they also help establish an etiologic diagnosis of infections within the central nervous system , such as meningitis and encephalitis ; soft tissue infections ; upper and lower respiratory tract bacterial and fungal infections , including hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonias ; gastrointestinal infections ; bone and joint infections ; urinary tract infections , including catheter-associated urinary tract infections ( CAUTIs ); genital infections ; viral syndromes , and others .
As the American Clinical Laboratory Association ( ACLA ) observes , “ America ’ s clinical laboratories serve as the foundation for early diagnosis , prevention , and personalized care for millions
The growing demand for laboratory developed tests – - clinical diagnostics that are often designed in response to unmet clinical needs – - has revolutionized our approach to patient care and provides an essential foundation for future medical breakthroughs .” of patients . From routine blood tests to ground-breaking genetic and molecular diagnostics , clinical laboratories play a vital role in improving patient outcomes and quality of life while delivering better value for the health system . Clinical laboratories serve as a driving force in medical innovation . The growing demand for laboratory developed tests – clinical diagnostics that are often designed in response to unmet clinical needs – has revolutionized our approach to patient care and provides an essential foundation for future medical breakthroughs .”
The complexity of the healthcare landscape is reflected in the escalation of the importance of CML services and the need for flawless analysis , observe Miller , et al . ( 2018 ) who explain , “ Unlike other areas of the diagnostic laboratory , clinical microbiology is a science of interpretive judgment that is becoming more complex , not less . Even with the advent of laboratory automation and the integration of genomics and proteomics in microbiology , interpretation of results still depends on the quality of the specimens received for analysis … Microbes tend to be uniquely suited to adapt to environments where antibiotics and host responses apply