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Quality control in antimicrobial disk susceptibility testing: A Belgian multicenter study

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Abstract

A Belgian multicenter trial was conducted to evaluate problems encountered with quality control results of antimicrobial disk susceptibility testing and to compare the performance of BBL disks and Rosco tablets. Over a period of four weeks 18 laboratories daily tested three reference strains against eight antibiotics. A standardised method was used by all participants. For all results together 10.4 % and 7.3 % of the measurements with BBL disks and Rosco tablets, respectively, were outside the recommended range. Major problems were observed for some specific strain-antibiotic combinations. Standard deviations were similar for both systems; their precision was comparable. The results suggest that cooperation between manufacturers and some reference laboratories could be improved in order to establish optimal quality control limits.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Academisch Ziekenhuis, Free University of Brussels, Laarbeeklaan 101, B-1090, Brussels, Belgium

    S. Lauwers, J. Philippe, A. Van Zeebroeck & D. Pierard

  2. Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Free University of Brussels, Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090, Brussels, Belgium

    M-P. Derde & L. Kaufman

Authors
  1. S. Lauwers
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  2. J. Philippe
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  3. A. Van Zeebroeck
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  4. D. Pierard
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  5. M-P. Derde
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  6. L. Kaufman
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Additional information

Participating microbiologists and their affiliations: A. Bellon (Onze Lieve Vrouw Ziekenhuis, Aalst), J. Colaert (Kliniek Maria's Voorzienigheid, Kortrijk), M. Denef (Stedelijk Onze Lieve Vrouw Ziekenhuis, Mechelen), H. Goossens (Universitair Ziekenhuis St. Pieter, Brussel), M. Lontie (Medisch Centrum voor Huisartsen, Leuven), P. Maes (St. Jozef Kliniek, Oostende), A. Mertens (Algemeen Ziekenhuis Middelheim, Antwerpen), H.J. Mertens (St. Jansziekenhuis, Genk), S.R. Pattyn (Universitair Ziekenhuis, Antwerpen), P. Piot (Instituut Tropische Geneeskunde, Antwerpen), J.L. Rummens (Virga Jesse Ziekenhuis, Hasselt), H. Van Landuyt (Algemeen Ziekenhuis St. Jan, Brugge), L. Van Nimmen (Ziekenhuis “De Bijloke”, Gent), R. Van Noyen (Imelda Ziekenhuis, Bonheiden), J. Verhaegen (Stuyvenberg Zickenhuis, Antwerpen), G. Verschraegen (Universitair Ziekenhuis, Gent), L. Verbist (Universitair Ziekenhuis St. Rafaël, Leuven).

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Lauwers, S., Philippe, J., Van Zeebroeck, A. et al. Quality control in antimicrobial disk susceptibility testing: A Belgian multicenter study. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 10, 652–656 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01975819

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01975819

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