Course Outline
Click on the links below to preview selected pages from this course.
- Introduction
- Update on the Most Resistant Pathogens
- Bacterial "Bad Guys"
- More on Global Resistant Bacteria
- Bacterial "Bad Guys" in the United States
- Resistant Fungi
- Resistant Parasites
- Which of the following bacteria is on the WHO list of critical priority resistant bacteria?
- Which of the following groups of pathogens has the fewest number of antimicrobial drugs that treat them?
- Antimicrobial Drugs: Mechanisms of Action and Resistance
- Introduction to Microbial Drug Classes and Development of Resistance
- Brief Overview of Mechanisms of Antimicrobial Action
- Antimicrobial Resistance Mechanisms
- More About Acquired Resistance Mechanisms
- What is an example of an antibiotic that targets cell wall synthesis?
- Which of the following is not a method bacteria use to acquire resistance?
- Dissemination of Antimicrobial Resistance
- Global Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance
- Strengthening Surveillance
- Key Findings of the 2025 GLASS Report
- The 2025 Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) report by the WHO has gaps in data on which of the following?
- True or False: Almost all of the countries in the Americas were included in the 2025 GLASS report.
- Testing for Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Resistance
- Emerging Antibiotics and Non-Antibiotic Antimicrobials
- Antimicrobial Stewardship and Synopsis
- Importance of Antimicrobial Stewardship
- Goals and Efforts of Antimicrobial Stewardship
- Antimicrobial Resistance and AI
- Synopsis
- What is antimicrobial stewardship?
- References
Additional Information
Level of Instruction: Intermediate
Intended Audience: Medical laboratory scientists, clinical microbiologists, infectious disease nurses, medical laboratory technicians, laboratory supervisors, and laboratory managers. This course is also appropriate for MLS and MLT students and pathology residents.
Author Information Margaret Reinhart, MS, MLS(ASCP), is a Senior Lecturer emerita of Biological Sciences at St. Joseph's University (formerly University of the Sciences), where she taught hematology, clinical immunology, microbiology, parasitology, and other related courses, as well as directed the MLS program for over 30 years. She also taught courses in Global Environmental Sustainability and Animal Studies. She is currently an adjunct instructor in Hematology at Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. She holds a Master's Degree in Biology and a Master's Degree in Health Care Administration.
The author has no conflict of interest to disclose.
Reviewer Information: Kayla Lichtenberger, BS, M(ASCP), MLT(ASCP), has built a progressive career in clinical microbiology at Essentia Health. She began as a medical laboratory assistant, where she developed a strong foundation in diagnostic workflows before transitioning into the microbiology department. There, she advanced into leadership as the lead technologist, overseeing daily operations, guiding workflow efficiency, and supporting high‑quality diagnostic results. Kayla holds a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from North Dakota State University and a medical laboratory technician degree from Rasmussen College, grounding her leadership in both scientific training and hands‑on laboratory experience.
Course Description: Resistance to antimicrobial drugs is currently one of the major global health threats. Pathogens are acquiring resistance faster than new drugs are entering the market. This course provides an update on which resistant microbes pose the greatest threats and on what we are currently doing to address them through laboratory diagnosis, drug discovery, and surveillance. It also provides a brief review of antibiotic drug classes and mechanisms of resistance. The course will also introduce new laboratory methods and new classes of antimicrobial drugs, offering hope that we won't lose the battle against resistance.
