A Guide to Specimen Management in Clinical Microbiology. J. Michael Miller

      Preface

      From syndrome-based molecular panels to total lab automation, clinical microbiology has evolved rapidly over the past 18 years since the previous edition of this book. We have witnessed increases in infections due to multidrug-resistant organisms, have overcome a major Ebola outbreak, and are currently tackling the geographic expansion of Zika virus and its potentially devastating effects. Aside from these more contemporary headliner agents, we continue to battle the threat of microorganisms that have been plaguing our world for decades, including HIV, syphilis, and influenza, just to name a few. And while the laboratory processes, diagnostic methods, and diseases may be more advanced and exotic, one unwavering aspect is the need for appropriate, well-collected specimens. In a world where we find ourselves trying to do more each day within the same 24-hour period, it is imperative that time not be wasted on correcting issues that are easily remedied with upfront attention to quality of specimens.

      For some reason, clinical microbiologists seem to get more formal training in appropriate specimen selection, collection, preservation, and transport than nurses, physicians, and other medical personnel who are actually obtaining the specimens. Microbiologists can usually agree that a poor specimen, regardless of how it is transported or stored, will provide poor, even inaccurate, results for the physician. Physicians must be able to trust the microbiology laboratory to deliver accurate, clinically relevant results; so it must be emphasized that the quality of the specimen submitted for culture and, ultimately, the person selecting, collecting, labeling, preserving, and transporting it, are essential first steps to achieve this. Therefore, this book is for every member of the health care team—the partnership.

      The overall aim of this edition was not to reinvent the wheel when it comes to providing guidance on specimen collection and management, because not much has changed since prior editions. Rather, it is meant to make the content more readable and accessible for its users, both specimen collectors and laboratory personnel, as well as to provide updates in specimen collection for newer methodologies (e.g., nucleic acid amplification tests) that are now in almost every laboratory. In the age of molecular testing in microbiology, the principles of specimen selection, collection, and transport are certainly no less important than they have been over the years. Close attention must be paid to the manufacturer recommendations for specimen collection and management, and unless the laboratory is prepared to validate

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