CLSI Blog Articles

Read the latest articles about CLSI and laboratory standards in the official CLSI Blog. Browse our most recent blog articles below.

Do You Know the Cost of Quality in Your Lab?

Most laboratories use methods such as QC, equipment calibration measurement, QA measurements of process performance, and more recently, implementation of a qualitymanagement system, to determine the quality of examination results and laboratory services. However, laboratory personnel often believe that staying within budget is sufficient, not considering that every time work is redone, the cost of laboratory services, as well as the cost of quality (COQ), increases.

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) is celebrated November 18-24. This is a week to raise awareness about global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and to encourage best practices among health care workers, the public, and policy makers to avoid the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. The slogan for 2020 is "Antimicrobials: handle with care.” The theme for the human health sector for WAAW 2020 is “United to preserve antimicrobials.”

Using CLSI’s QMS Documents to Implement a Quality Management System

Implementing a quality management system (QMS) can help a laboratory run more efficiently by reducing costs and nonconformances. Most importantly, in the US, a QMS is a requirement under CLIA regulations for passing and maintaining accreditation.

World Standards Day

Each year on October 14 we celebrate World Standards Day, which is a day to pay tribute to the collaborative efforts of thousands of experts worldwide who develop the voluntary technical agreements that are published as international standards.

September is Newborn Screening Awareness Month

September is Newborn Screening Awareness Month. 2020’s theme is “Expect newborn screening.” Newborn screening is a state public health service that reaches each of the nearly 4 million babies born in the United States each year. It ensures that all babies are screened for certain serious conditions at birth and for those babies with those conditions, it allows doctors to start treatment before some of the harmful effects happen.

World Patient Safety Day 2020

World Patient Safety Day is celebrated on September 17. This year WHO will launch a global campaign emphasizing health worker safety as a prerequisite for patient safety and urging people to show their commitment to make health care safer for everyone. Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety has been selected as the theme for this year. The 2020 theme will be promoted through the slogan “Safe health workers, Safe patients.”

Applying Susceptibility Interpretations to the Candida parapsilosis Species Complex

As DNA sequence- and MALDI-TOF-based identification of yeasts becomes widespread, we have learned much about the prevalence of cryptic species within species complexes.

Learning About Veterinary AST From Lady Glittersparkles

Just as the CLSI subcommittee on AST develops standards that support the judicious use of antimicrobial agents in human medicine, the subcommittee on Veterinary Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (VAST) develops standards for performing AST on bacteria isolated from animals and releases VET documents (listed in Table 1) that closely parallel the CLSI “M” series of AST documents.

Selecting a Referral Laboratory

There are many factors to consider when a lab identifies the need for referral laboratory services, which can make the process seem overwhelming. Identifying appropriate qualification criteria and establishing a selection process are the foundational elements for choosing a referral laboratory.

COVID-19 and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Pandemics

As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, many lessons are being learned, not the least of which is how to better prepare for future pandemics. This includes addressing the ongoing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) pandemic, which at a global scale has the potential to eclipse COVID-19. It is estimated hundreds of thousands of patients die globally each year due to complications associated with AMR infections—some projections indicate this number will be 10 million by 2050.