Insights

Robert Bowden, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA Claire Burbick, Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab, Washington State University, Pullman, MA

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.

Now, more than ever, it’s important to implement a disaster plan for your lab or update your lab’s current plan. Emergencies can impede your lab’s efficiency and sometimes even bring operations to a standstill. Preparation can help ensure that your lab continues to deliver high quality results and keep patients and laboratory workers healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

January is One Health Awareness Month, when we promote the importance of public, animal, and environmental health. Learn about how CLSI has promotes the values of the One Health Initiative through its AST subcommittees that establish testing standards for the human and veterinary laboratory sectors.

In January of each year CLSI publishes M100—Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing. M100 reports the antibiotic breakpoints that help medical laboratorians throughout the world provide accurate test results to health care providers. These breakpoints aid laboratorians in selecting the most appropriate and effective antimicrobial treatments for patients.

Presented by CLSI, read the article, “The Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory Network (AR Lab Network) – Bridging the Gap by Offering Expanded Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing,” byPaula Snippes Vagnone, AR Lab Network Central Region Lab Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Health, Public Health Laboratory, St. Paul, MN.

CLSI publishes rationale documents that provide the scientific reasons behind the decisions related to breakpoint and interpretive categories. Learn more.

The CDC is reporting that Candida auris, an emerging fungus, presents a serious global health threat, causing severe illness in hospitalized patients.

CLSI raises awareness of Clostridium difficile infections this November. Clostridium difficile infections in the community appear to be rising. Learn more.

The importance of Viral Load Testing in treating HIV and how it can help countries meet their UN AIDS 90-90-90 initiative targets. Find out more at CLSI.