Course Outline
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- Introduction
- Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
- Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci
- Clostridioides difficile
- Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales
- True or False: MRSA is only a problem for patients who are hospitalized.
- Staphylococcus aureus
- General Characteristics
- S. aureus Virulence Factors
- Which factor would not attribute to the pathogenicity of S. aureus, as well as the frequency with which this organism produces infections?
- Clinical Significance of S. aureus
- Beta-lactam Antibiotics and S. aureus
- Which of these describes the mode of action of the beta-lactam class of antibiotics?
- Beta-lactam antibiotics interfere with cell wall synthesis by:
- MRSA
- Beta-lactams and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
- Healthcare-Associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) versus Community-Associated MRSA (CA-MRSA)
- Risk Factors
- The increased resistance of MRSA strains to beta-lactam antibiotics is due to production of which of the following penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs)?
- Which of the following statements is incorrect regarding HA-MRSA and CA-MRSA?
- Laboratory Diagnosis of MRSA
- Susceptibility Testing of Isolates
- Susceptibility Testing
- Selection of Drugs for Testing
- Interpretation of Oxacillin Broth Dilution Tests
- Interpretation of Oxacillin and Cefoxitin Disk Diffusion Tests
- Detection of Oxacillin Resistance
- Which of the following scenarios represents appropriate detection of MRSA by the Kirby Bauer method?
- A laboratory performs MIC tests, in addition to Kirby Bauer, and a PBP 2a assay on blood culture isolates. Which of the following isolates should be r...
- MRSA Treatment/Vancomycin Resistance in S. aureus
- Testing for Vancomycin Susceptibility
- Testing for Vancomycin Susceptibility
- A laboratory's primary susceptibility testing method is disk diffusion. The cefoxitin disk has a zone size of 19 mm and the vancomycin disk has a zone...
- Future Perspectives: MRSA
- Enterococcus
- Enterococci
- Risk Factors and Resistance
- Enterococci can possess both intrinsic and acquired resistance. Which of the following represents acquired resistance of a typical enterococcal strain...
- Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci
- Laboratory Diagnosis of VRE
- Treatment of Resistant Enterococci
- Clostridium Species
- Clostridioides difficile
- Laboratory Diagnosis of CDAD
- Laboratory Detection of C. difficile
- Stool Culture
- Cell Cytotoxicity Neutralization Assay (CCNA)
- Enzyme Immunoassay Methods
- Various methods have been employed for the detection of C. difficile disease: cultivation of the organism, cell cytotoxin neutralization assays, and e...
- Glutamate Dehydrogenase (GDH) Antigen Assays
- Molecular Methods
- Which of the following approaches for diagnostic testing have been indicated by recent literature?
- Treatment of C. difficile Infection
- Future Perspectives: CDI/CDAD
- Future Perspectives: CDI/CDAD
- Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales
- Enterobacterales and Spectrum of Disease
- CRE Defined and Risk Factors
- Mechanisms of Resistance
- Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacterales
- What carbapenemase is produced most commonly by CRE encountered in the United States?
- Laboratory Diagnosis of CRE
- Detection, Identification, and Susceptibility Testing of CRE
- Summary: CRE versus CP-CRE
- True or False: When using current antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) breakpoints, it is recommended by CLSI that laboratories should also rout...
- Treatment and Control of CRE
- Future Perspectives: CRE
- References
Additional Information
Level of Instruction: Intermediate
Intended Audience: This course is intended for medical laboratory scientists, technicians, and those working in a microbiology lab. This course is also appropriate for medical laboratory science students and pathology residents.
Author Information:
Carolyn M. Law, PhD, MLS(AMT), is the CEO of Celtic Labs Diagnostic Microbiology Services in Trinidad. She holds a PhD in Microbiology from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.
Catherine Dragoni, MLS(ASCP)SM, received her BS degree in medical technology from the State University of New York, Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse. She began her career as a bench microbiologist at Maine Medical Center, Portland, Maine. Currently, she is the Assistant Chief Technologist of Microbiology and Molecular Pathology at NorDx Laboratories, Scarborough, Maine.
The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.
Reviewer Information: Judi Bennett, BSM, MLS(AMT), MLT(ASCP), is an Education Developer with MediaLab by Vastian and a medical laboratory professional with over 30 years of experience. She has held leadership roles, including Clinical Laboratory Manager, Microbiology Supervisor, and Senior Systems Analyst at Gwinnett Health System in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Judi is passionate about advancing healthcare quality through innovative and engaging laboratory education.
