Full Answer
What is the best way to monitor bacterial colonization in microbiology?
Quantitative culture of either specimen is recommended; optimal utilization of quantitative surface swabs requires twice-weekly sampling of the same site to accurately monitor the trend of bacterial colonization.
Do microbiology laboratories need an algorithm for processing samples for pathogens?
It is suggested that microbiology laboratories, in collaboration with infectious diseases physicians and pulmonologists, develop an algorithm for processing samples that includes testing for all major categories of pathogens as summarized in the table.
How do you ensure the quality of your microbiology specimens?
To provide that level of quality, however, the laboratory requires that all microbiology specimens be properly selected, collected, and transported to optimize analysis and interpretation.
What is the best method of specimen collection for Microbiology?
Fluids from drains are optimal specimens for collection and submission to the microbiology laboratory.
Which of the following is the most efficient method of preventing the spread of infection in a laboratory quizlet?
The most effective means of preventing infection is the repeated, thorough hand washing or sanitization of the hands. When using a fire safety blanket, you should be sure to wrap the person securely in the blanket to smother the flames.
How do you prevent this exposure when working in the lab?
Wear Your PPE and Proper Lab AttireLong pants and shoes completely covering the top of the foot should be worn at all times when working in the lab.Lab coats will protect your clothes and your skin from splashes, spills, or other exposures to chemical or biological agents, and flames in some cases.More items...•
What is the first and most important step in laboratory safety?
The Most Important Lab Safety Rule Know how to use all of the lab equipment before you begin. Why is this the most important rule? If you don't follow it: You endanger yourself and others in the lab.
Which of the following represent important safety procedures for microbiology students?
Which of the following represent important safety procedures for microbiology students? Always wear open-toed shoes so organisms do not become trapped in shoes. , Wash your hands before and after laboratory procedures. and Disinfect your lab bench at the beginning and end of the lab period.
What is an effective method to protect yourself from chemical exposures?
Read the instructions for how to use the chemical properly. Keep the work area well ventilated. Wear gloves, masks, or other protective devices to reduce contact with the chemicals. Make sure you wash your hands with soap and warm water after using chemicals.
How can you prevent exposure to chemicals?
10 Steps to Avoid Toxic ChemicalsMake Your Own Cleaning Products. ... Avoid Fragrance. ... Give Your Personal Care Products a Makeover. ... Go “BPA-Free” ... Quit the Quats. ... Choose Alternatives to Plastics (where possible) ... Keep Harmful Chemicals Out of the House. ... Turn Down the Heat on Non-Stick Cookware.More items...
What is the single most important laboratory safety rule?
The most important lab safety rule is to know the location of and how to use safety equipment, such as a fire extinguisher.
What is the importance of laboratory safety?
A laboratory poses potential risks due to exposure to corrosive and toxic materials, flammable solvents, high pressure gases, explosive chemicals and dangerous microbes. A little care and adherence to prescribed safety guidelines will help avoid laboratory mishaps.
What is the importance of laboratory standards that it should be followed?
Using standards ensures that the laboratory is implementing the steps that the accrediting agency requires. Another goal of using published standards in the laboratory is to ensure that procedures and processes are performed the same as in every laboratory that implements the standard.
What is laboratory safety in microbiology?
in the Microbiology Laboratory. All safety procedures and precautions followed in the microbiology laboratory are designed to: I) Reduce or eliminate exposure of lab workers, other persons, and the outside environment to potentially hazardous microorganisms.
What are the safety precautions in microbiology laboratory?
Nine Safe Practices for the Microbiology LaboratoryTreat all microorganisms as potential pathogens. ... Sterilize equipment and materials. ... Disinfect work areas before and after use. ... Wash your hands. ... Never pipette by mouth. ... Do not eat or drink in the lab, nor store food in areas where microorganisms are stored.More items...
What is the most important part of the body to protect in the laboratory?
Eye Protection Of course, your eyes are more susceptible to major injury than other parts of your body. For these reasons, eye protection is crucial in the laboratory. You will be issued a pair of safety glasses or goggles during check-in.
When was the CDC's guidelines for pathogenic microorganisms published?
In 1984 , the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) jointly published a set of guidelines for the safe handling of pathogenic microorganisms [ 105 ]. These guidelines, developed over a period of several years in consultation with experts in the field, remain the best judgments available;
What are the factors that affect the risk of infection in the laboratory?
Among these factors are the health and immune status of the laboratory worker, the suitability of the laboratory for work with highly pathogenic agents, the characteristics and the concentrations of the microbe being handled, and the specific manipulations involved in its handling.
How do aerosols spread?
Exposure to microorganisms dispersed or spread in the form of infectious aerosols or droplets is an important source of laboratory-acquired infection. Infectious aerosols may be composed of dry or liquid particles typically less than 5 microns in diameter, which can be produced during the course of many common laboratory processes. Such aerosols do not settle quickly and can be dispersed widely through a ventilation system or otherwise carried long distances by air streams. If inhaled, the particles in an aerosol are carried to the alveoli of the lungs. In contrast, droplets (particles typically larger than 5 microns in diameter) remain airborne only for a short period of time and are nonrespirable. Because of their mass, droplets tend to settle quickly on inanimate surfaces, or may be deposited on skin or mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract. Accordingly, droplets pose risks of infection associated with direct or indirect contamination of the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, or mouth as well as of skin, clothing, and laboratory equipment.
Why do we need to manipulate infectious fluids?
Manipulate infectious fluids carefully to avoid spills and the production of aerosols and droplets.
How can oral exposure be avoided?
Clearly, such exposures are completely avoidable through the use of mechanical pipetting devices. Indirect oral exposures can be avoided through the use of the personal hygienic practice of regular hand washing, and by not placing any objects, including fingers, into the mouth. The wearing of a surgical mask or face shield will serve to protect the worker against the splashing of infectious material into the mouth.
Why do we need labeling?
Some form of labeling is necessary to maintain the identity of specimens in the laboratory and to ensure that the analytical results obtained are properly recorded and reported. In addition, it is the practice in many cases (and may be required as a condition for accreditation) that special hazard warning labels be affixed to specimens that are known to be hazardous (e.g., specimens obtained from patients known to be infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or from patients in high-risk groups for these infections, or when previous tests of the specimen have shown it to contain an etiologic agent).
Why is it important to properly package biological specimens?
Although it is obvious that biological specimens should be properly packaged, labeled, shipped, and received, concerned national and international organizations have found it necessary to develop recommendations and guidelines because of the fear of accidents and spills involving such materials [ 71 ] [ 86 ] [ 147 ] [ 148 ]. Federal regulations govern the packaging and shipping of hazardous materials. The importation and subsequent transfer between laboratories of etiologic agents and vectors of plant, animal, and human diseases (including zoonotic agents) are controlled through permit systems.
What is clinical microbiology?
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 whether one is suspecting a prokaryote or a eukaryote as the etiologic agent, both of which are featured in this document. Microbes tend to be uniquely suited to adapt to environments where antibiotics and host responses apply pressures that encourage their survival. A laboratory instrument may or may not detect those mutations, which can present a challenge to clinical interpretation. Clearly, microbes grow, multiply, and die very quickly. If any of those events occur during the preanalytical specimen management processes, the results of analysis will be compromised and interpretation could be misleading.
What is below the community standard of care for laboratories?
Anything less is below the community standard of care for laboratories. To provide that level of quality, however, the laboratory requires that all microbiology specimens be properly selected, collected, and transported to optimize analysis and interpretation.
How long does it take for blood cultures to produce positive results?
For the great majority of etiologic agents of BSIs, conventional blood culture methods provide positive results within 48 hours; incubation for >5 days seldom is required when modern automated continuous-monitoring blood culture systems and media are used [1, 2]. This includes recovery of historically fastidious organisms such as HACEK [1] ( Haemophilus, Aggregatibacter, Cardiobacterium, Eikenella, and Kingella) bacteria and Brucella species (spp) [3, 4]. Some microorganisms, such as mycobacteria and dimorphic fungi, require longer incubation periods; others may require special culture media or non-culture-based methods. Although filamentous fungi often require special broth media or lysis-centrifugation vials for detection, most Candida spp grow very well in standard blood culture broths unless the patient has been on antifungal therapy. Unfortunately, blood cultures from patients with suspected candidemia do not yield positive results in almost half of patients. Table 2 provides a summary of diagnostic methods for most BSIs.
What are the most common infectious diseases?
Respiratory tract infections are among the most common infectious diseases. The list of causative agents continues to expand as new pathogens and syndromes are recognized. This section describes the major etiologic agents and the microbiologic approaches to the diagnosis of bronchitis and bronchiolitis; community-acquired pneumonia (CAP); hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP); infections of the pleural space; bronchopulmonary infections in patients with cystic fibrosis; and pneumonia in the immunocompromised host. The reader is referred to various practice guidelines that have been written in recent years by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Thoracic Society, and the American Society for Microbiology, among other clinical practice groups that describe the clinical features, diagnostic approaches, and patient management aspects of many of these syndromes.
Why are blood cultures not indicated for SSTIs?
For the common forms of SSTIs, cultures are not indicated for uncomplicated infections (cellulitis, subcutaneous abscesses) treated in the outpatient setting. Whether cultures are beneficial in managing cellulitis in the hospitalized patient is uncertain and the sensitivity of blood cultures in this setting is low. Cultures are indicated for the patient who requires operative incision and drainage because of risk for deep structure and underlying tissue involvement and cases of therapeutic failure [223].
How to diagnose infectious disease?
The diagnosis of infectious disease is best achieved by applying in-depth knowledge of both medical and laboratory science along with principles of epidemiology and pharmacokinetics of antibiotics and by integrating a strategic view of host–parasite interactions. Clearly, the best outcomes for patients are the result of strong partnerships between the clinician and the microbiology specialist. This document illustrates and promotes this partnership and emphasizes the importance of appropriate specimen management to clinical relevance of the results. One of the most valuable laboratory partners in infectious disease diagnosis is the certified microbiology specialist, particularly a specialist certified as a Diplomate by the American Board of Medical Microbiology, the American Board of Pathology, or the American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology or their equivalent certified by other organizations. Clinicians should recommend and medical institutions should provide this kind of leadership for the microbiology laboratory or provide formal access to this level of laboratory expertise through consultation.
Do you need a swab for a sputum specimen?
The laboratory requires a specimen, not a swab of a specimen. Actual tissue, aspirates, and fluids are always specimens of choice, especially from surgery.
What is the most commonly identified agent of laboratory acquired infection?
In recent surveys, Shigella species was the most frequently identified agent of laboratory-acquired infection [ 9-11 ]. One explanation for the large number of reported cases of laboratory-acquired shigellosis is that Shigella species are more virulent and require a much lower inoculum to cause illness.
Which organism accounts for the largest percentage of infections in diagnostic laboratories?
Bacteria account for the largest proportion of infections (43%) in diagnostic laboratories, with over 37 different species reported [ 3 ]. Below, I highlight common causes of infection that are currently of most concern.
What are the most common infections in a laboratory?
The 3 most common laboratory-acquired infections were shigellosis, brucellosis, and salmonellosis . In contrast, the highest incidences of infection were associated with Brucella species (641 cases per 100,000 laboratory technologists, compared with 0.08 cases per 100,000 persons in the general population) and Neisseria meningitidis (25.3 cases per 100,000 laboratory technologists, compared with 0.62 cases per 100,000 persons in the general population).
What are laboratory acquired infections?
Abstract. Laboratory-acquired infections due to a wide variety of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites have been described. Although the precise risk of infection after an exposure remains poorly defined, surveys of laboratory-acquired infections suggest that Brucella species, Shigella species, Salmonella species, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, ...
What is the most common blood-associated virus?
Of the common blood-associated viruses, hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the most common cause of laboratory-acquired infection [ 1 ]. The incidence of HBV infection among all health care workers in the United States is estimated to be 3.5–4.6 infections per 1000 workers, which is 2–4 times than the level for the general population [ 39 ]. It is encouraging that, in the 2 most recent surveys of laboratory-acquired infections in the United Kingdom, there were no reported cases of HBV infection among laboratory workers [ 8, 9 ]. This finding is probably related to the use of universal precautions when handling blood specimens, improvements in needleless devices, and the availability of immunization.
What causes laboratory infections?
Viral agents transmitted through blood and bodily fluids cause most of the laboratory-acquired infections in diagnostic laboratories and among health care workers [ 1 ]. Although the viral hemorrhagic fevers incite the most fear and dominate the imagination of the media and public, the viruses responsible are rare causes of laboratory infection [ 3, 4 ]. However, there is always the possibility that an agent not previously seen may be encountered. This occurred in 1967, when 31 workers were infected while handling tissue specimens from African green monkeys, with 7 deaths resulting [ 38 ]. The causative agent was named Marburg virus, after the town in Germany where most cases occurred.
How many cases of laboratory acquired parasitic infections?
Laboratory-acquired parasitic infections are uncommon in the diagnostic microbiology laboratory [ 1, 3, 6 ]. Approximately 313 cases of laboratory-acquired infection, with a variety of blood and intestinal protozoa, have been reported ( table 3) [ 3, 45 ]. Most of these cases occurred in research and reference laboratories. Readers are referred to the review by Herwaldt [ 45 ].
Why is aseptic technique important?
Proper and appropriate aseptic technique is vitally important for the safety of all lab personnel; it is also essential for the successful completion of the lab portion of this class. The skills and awareness you develop practicing aseptic technique will carry over to your career as a health professional.
What is the aseptic technique?
Aseptic technique involves developing both manual dexterity in safely handling the microorganisms and mental dexterity in thinking ahead about what you are doing with the microorganism. In this lab you will learn how to: decontaminate your lab bench. safely organize your workspace. properly adjust your Bunsen burner.
How to sterilize a tube in an incinerator?
Hold the tubes closer to the bottom so that your hand will not be close to the flame when you sterilize the mouth of the tubes. Grab the inoculating loop far back on the handle as if you were going to write with it. Place your loop in the mouth of the incinerator briefly for 2-4 seconds to sterilize it.
Why is it important to avoid aerosols?
One of your main concerns when working with microorganisms is to avoid producing aerosols that you can breathe in and droplets that can land on you, your lab partners, and your lab equipment. You will spend a lot of time in lab transferring organisms from one tube to another, or to slides or to plates . It is imperative that you do this quickly and safely. The longer your organism is exposed to the air, the more opportunities there are for it to get contaminated and/or to contaminate you, your lab partners or your equipment.
Can you chew gum in lab?
Leave all food and drink in your backpack. Do not chew gum in lab.
Does BSL2 require an incinerator?
Instead of using a Bunsen burner to “flame” loops and other inoculating utensils, BSL2 procedures require the use of an incinerator. An incinerator sterilizes inoculating utensils much the same way as a Bunsen burner does except the risk of aerosol production is reduced. Figure 4: Incinerator.
Which term describes the process that inhibits the growth of bacteria?
c. Bacteriostatic —inhibits the growth of bacteria
Why can ionizing radiation only disinfect materials?
b. Ionizing radiation can only disinfect materials because it cannot penetrate solid substances.
What are the factors that determine the risk of biological agents?
Risk groups are based on the following factors: • Pathogenicity of the organism. • Mode of transmission and host range. • Availability of effective preventive measures, such as vaccines.
Why is it important to design a laboratory?
The design of a facility is important in providing a barrier to protect those working inside and outside the laboratory and to protect people or animals in the community from infectious agents which may be accidentally released from the laboratory.
What is the most important element of containment?
The most important element of containment is strict adherence to standard microbiological practices and techniques. Persons working with infectious agents or infected materials must be aware of potential hazards, and must be trained and proficient in the practices and techniques required for handling such material safely.
What organisms are not known to cause disease?
This includes organisms such as Bacillus subtilis, Vibrio harveyi, Saccharomyces cerevisiae or laboratory strains of E. coli.
What is RG1 in a virus?
RG1: are not associated with disease in healthy adult humans or animals. Examples: E.coli K12 Host-Vector Systems, Adeno-associated virus, B. subtilis. RG2: associated with disease which is rarely serious and for which preventative or therapeutics is often available. Examples: S. aureus, Hepatitis B virus, Cryptococcus neoformans.
When to decontaminate work surfaces?
Decontaminate work surfaces with an appropriate disinfectant at completion of tasks and after any spill or splash.
Where to wash hands after working with potentially hazardous materials?
Wash hands in a dedicated sink after working with potentially hazardous materials and before leaving the laboratory.