Basic laboratory procedures in clinical bacteriology

Communicable diseases are the most common cause for death in developing countries, and their diagnosis and treatment represent a significant challenge to the health services in those areas. To ensure accurate identification of causative microorganisms, laboratories need to use standard procedures for microbiological investigations and susceptibility testing, and to implement an effective programme of quality assurance This manual is a practical guide, for use by laboratory workers in health centres and district hospitals, to the procedures to be followed in obtaining specimens, isolating and identifying bacteria, and assessing their resistance to antibiotics. It covers bacteriological investigation of blood, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, stool, sputum, pharyngeal and genital specimens, and purulent exudates. Particular attention is given to the need for quality control of all laboratory procedures. A list of media and reagents needed for the isolation and identification of the most common bacterial pathogens is included, together with an indication of their relative importance for the intermediate laboratory. This list is intended for adaptation to local circumstances