J Michael Miller, Matthew J Binnicker, Sheldon Campbell, Karen C Carroll, Kimberle C Chapin, Peter H Gilligan, Mark D Gonzalez, Robert C Jerris, Sue C Kehl, Robin Patel, Bobbi S Pritt, Sandra S Richter, Barbara Robinson-Dunn, Joseph D Schwartzman, James W Snyder, Sam Telford, Elitza S Theel, Richard B Thomson, Melvin P Weinstein, Joseph D Yao
The critical nature of the microbiology laboratory in infectious disease diagnosis calls for a close, positive working relationship between the physician/advanced practice provider and the microbiologists who provide enormous value to the healthcare team. This document, developed by experts in laboratory and adult and pediatric clinical medicine, provides information on which tests are valuable and in which contexts, and on tests that add little or no value for diagnostic decisions. This document presents a system-based approach rather than specimen-based approach, and includes bloodstream and cardiovascular system infections, central nervous system infections, ocular infections, soft tissue infections of the head and neck, upper and lower respiratory infections, infections of the gastrointestinal tract, intra-abdominal infections, bone and joint infections, urinary tract infections, genital infections, and other skin and soft tissue infections; or into etiologic agent groups, including arthropod-borne infections, viral syndromes, and blood and tissue parasite infections...
August 31, 2018: Clinical Infectious Diseases