CLSI M56-A PDF

CLSI M56-A – Principles and Procedures for Detection of Anaerobes in Clinical Specimens; Approved Guideline, M56AE

This document provides procedures for performing testing and providing accurate, reliable, and useful results tolaboratories with differing levels of expertise in anaerobe bacteriology. Preexamination requirements for specimen selection,collection, transport, timely processing, and examination procedures are discussed. Rapid and complex methods are compared fortheir ability to provide definitive identifications. Because the delivery of preliminary reports is vital to patient care when complexfinal reports are delayed, interpretations of direct smears and culture results are presented to help laboratorians confidently issuepreliminary reports. Descriptions of anaerobes involved in human disease and a discussion of diagnostic methods for Clostridiumdifficile disease are presented. Guidelines for establishing competency testing to laboratories at their various levels of expertiseand complexity are included. Because failures in good practices for preexamination, examination, and postexaminationtechniques can put patients at risk, a discussion of risk assessment during the design and implementation of anaerobebacteriology protocols is included.