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Susceptibility Testing, Empowered - Newsletter
Welcome to susceptibility testing, empowered
Your newsletter is dedicated to exploring topics relating to antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), brought to you by our in-house experts. We look at everything from topics in the news, to emerging technology, pushing AST stewardship to the next level.
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susceptibility testing, empowered: Issue 3
Read articles from the latest issue below
Verification of new AST testing systems
Ready to implement a new antimicrobial susceptibility testing system into your laboratory? Even with a readymade solution, laboratories are often required to verify the performance of a new method in their own laboratory environment. Learn more about verification recommendations.
Innovation in antimicrobial development
We all understand the importance of AST and MIC surveillance in the global AMR stewardship effort. We are well versed in this arena, but with new antibiotic cefiderocol’s unique mode of action, we require a unique method of MIC – one that involves different testing conditions to those used for existing treatment options.
A Renaissance in Phage Therapy?
Hear from our first guest editor, Professor Martha Clokie, as we explore the novel potential treasure trove of bacteriophages, taking a look back at past uses as well as looking forward to alternative therapies of the future.
Discordant Antibiotic Use Can be Common, and Deadly
Empiric antibiotic therapy in suspected bloodstream infections is vital. Unfortunately, a new study shows that discordant use is both fairly common, and potentially lethal. Knowing what data from the microbiology laboratory can help optimize the use of empiric therapy is essential to potentially saving lives.
Previous issues of susceptibility testing, empowered:
Looking into the future of Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST)
View our webinar with renowned expert Dr. Rafael Canton, as he explores why rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing is so important at a time when antibiotic resistance is growing into one of the biggest challenges the world faces today.
Explore the relationship between coronavirus, sepsis and the rise in antimicrobial resistance
As we continue to adapt and respond to coronavirus, we’re also mindful of its potential connection to other life-threatening conditions, such as sepsis and the impact on antimicrobial resistance. Since the World Health Organization declared coronavirus a global health emergency, there is now more scientific data available to link coronavirus to sepsis.
World Quality Day is coming. But what does it mean to AST?
It's World Quality Day, on November 12th, 2020. In order to celebrate a globally established event we’ve explored the connection between quality and antimicrobial susceptibility testing from the perspective of our business, as a manufacturer, and the products you use as a healthcare provider.
Support your immunocompromised patients
Three new Research Use Only (RUO) Thermo Scientific™ Sensititre™ plates for Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM), provide the most up-to-date recognized drugs available to treat clinically significant NTMs1. In particular, the introduction of a new Nocardia format supports adoption of the latest CLSI guidelines for management of the immunocompromised patient groups most affected by infections related to this organism. The addition of the antibiotic Clofazimine, also provides additional guidance and treatment options in multi-drug resistant isolates. Find out more about these products and The World Health Organizations’ focus to end the TB epidemic by 2030.
Increases in Ventilator Associated Pneumonias (VAP) due to coronavirus
The clinical microbiology team here at Thermo Fisher Scientific™ are in constant contact with healthcare workers dealing with coronavirus globally. Recently we received some important feedback which resulted in us supporting our customers implementing new testing workflows for coronavirus including adding Thermo Scientific™ Sensititre™ System testing options to support their laboratories increased demands for Candida albicans associated Ventilator Assisted Pneumonia (VAP). Visit the microbiology coronavirus support page.
New benchtop automated susceptibility testing system is now available in the U.S.
Did you know that 9 out of top 10 hospitals* use Thermo Scientific Sensititre AST System? The recent U.S. launch of the Thermo Scientific Sensititre ARIS HiQ System now better automates AST testing via Gold Standard-Level Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) accuracy**. The immediate accuracy of phenotypically-driven MIC values deliver reliable results that support reductions in routine re-tests (due to invalid AST results), additional confirmatory testing and the hidden costs associated with reporting delays, and inappropriate antibiotic usage.
Antimicrobials cefiderocol and imipenem/relebactam - now available
Updated Thermo Scientific Sensititre plates for multi-drug resistant Gram negative infections now include two new antimicrobials, cefiderocol and imipenem/relebactam. Cefiderocol and imipenem/relebactam, represent two of the latest treatment options approved by the FDA for complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs), including pyelonephritis. Imipenem/relebactam is also indicated for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI) with a third label for hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP and VABP respectively) expected in early June. Cefiderocol is the first approved antibiotic that functions as a siderophore, providing a unique method of penetrating the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria, enabling its ability to overcome many of the resistance mechanisms that bacteria employ against antibiotics.
* US News and World Report 2019-2020 Best Hospitals Honor Roll
** Gram negative anaerobe susceptibility testing in clinical isolates using Sensititre and Etest methods. C. Hughes, C. Ashhurst-Smith, J.K.Ferguson. Pathology Volume 50, Issue 4, June 2018.
*** CLSI. Susceptibility Testing of Mycobacteria, Nocardia spp., and Other Aerobic Actinomycetes. 3rd ed. CLSI standard M24. Wayne, PA: Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute; 2018.