Automation And Emerging Technology In Clinical Microbiology An Issue Of Clinics In Laboratory Medicine

The field of Clinical Microbiology is evolving at a rapid pace, perhaps more so than any other arm of laboratory medicine. This can be attributed to new technology, including high throughput gene sequencing, multiplex molecular assays, rapid evolution of antimicrobial resistance, and discovery of new pathogens. In addition, modern medical procedures, such as solid organ and stem cell transplantation, have resulted in an explosion of infections with agents that historically have been considered to be of low virulence. This issue of Clinics in Laboratory Medicine will highlight some of the advances in diagnostic microbiology, including MALDI-TOF MS, pathogen discovery, and personalized antimicrobial chemotherapy. In addition, one of the papers will focus on implementation of new technologies and how to maximize patient impact of these new methods.

This issue of Clinics in Laboratory Medicine, guest edited by James E. Kirby, will focus on Advances and Trends in Clinical Microbiology and take a look at the next 20 years. Topics include, but are not limited to, Rapid susceptibility testing methods; Synergy testing; Serology testing re-imagined; Total Laboratory Automation in Clinical Microbiology; MALDI-TOF; Superbugs of the Future, the Antimicrobial Laboratory Resistance Network, Partnerships between Public Health and the clinical microbiology laboratory; Next generation sequencing, from identification to susceptibility prediction; Distributed microbiology testing; Direct from Sample Identification; Biomarkers - predicting viral versus bacterial infection; PK/PD in the era of emerging multidrug-resistance; Training the next generation of clinical microbiologists; and Pictorial illustration of debate, developments, and controversy in clinical microbiology.

This issue of Clinics in Laboratory Medicine, guest edited by Drs. Nicole D. Pecora and Matthew Pettengill, will cover Current Issues in Clinical Microbiology. This issue is one of four selected each year by our Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Milenko Jovan Tanasijevic. Topics discussed in this issue will include: Update in Diagnostics of Bloodstream Infections, Panels and Syndromic Testing in Clinical Microbiology, Lab Consolidation and Centralization, Update in Susceptibility Testing: Phenotypic and Genotypic Methods, Genomics in the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Automation in the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Coronavirus Detection in the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory: Are We Ready for Identifying and Diagnosing a Novel Strain?, Update on Biosafety and Emerging Infections for the Clinical Microbiology Lab, Update in Clinical Mycology, Point of Care Testing in Microbiology, Pediatric Diagnostic Microbiology, Antimicrobial Stewardship: What the Clinical Laboratory Needs to Know, Fellowship Training for the Future Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Director, Update in Diagnostics/Susceptibility of Mycobacterial Diseases, Role of the Clinical Microbiology Lab in One Health, Update in Infectious Disease Diagnosis in Surgical Pathology, and more.

Diabetes, Hematology/Coagulation in Pregnancy, An Issue of Clinics in Laboratory Medicine,

Acute respiratory infections are responsible for an estimated 4 million deaths annually worldwide, and are the leading cause of death in children younger than 5 years. Over 1 million people in the United States are hospitalized each year with pneumonia. Mycobacterium tuberculosis infects one third of world’s population. There are more than 1 million tuberculosis-related deaths worldwide each year. Emerging resistance to multiple available antimicrobial agents has hampered the ability to treat tuberculosis and hospital-acquired respiratory infections. The laboratory diagnosis of respiratory infections is an important part of patient management and treatment. In addition to culture isolation of pathogens, advances have been made in a number of non-culture methods. This issue of Clinics in Laboratory Medicinee reviews state-of-the-art laboratory diagnosis of respiratory infections, as well as the testing of susceptibility to antibiotics and antiviral agents. Among some of the respiratory infections covered are: Cystic fibrosis infections; Pertussis; Pharyngitis; Fungal infections. Among the diagnostic tests are: Interferon gamma release assays; Molecuar diagnosis of TB; Urine antigen tests and discussion of Antibiotic resistance in nosocomial respiratory infections.

Molecular pathology has significantly matured over the past decade to establish itself as a discipline in its own right. Patient diagnosis, prognosis, management and care have been influenced by molecular pathology testing algorithms on a global scale. Whether it pertains to carrier status of deleterious genes, diagnosis by molecular techniques, assessment of appropriate remission post treatment, parentage or forensics testing – molecular pathology continues to increase its presence and influence in the diagnostic laboratory armamentarium. Furthermore, intellectualization and proprietization of molecular pathology with respect to the discovery of new genes and or new techniques continues to pose new challenges of test ownership, legalities, liabilities, widespread acceptance and utility. This issue of Laboratory Clinics seeks to provide selective state of the art understanding of molecular pathology with respect to its relationship to key pathology disciplines as well as the current challenges and promise for the future.

Topics in this clinically focused publication devoted to Cardiac Markers include: Overview of cardiac markers in heart disease; Methodologies for measurement of cardiac markers; Natriuretic peptides in HF and ACS; Tropoinins and high sensitivity troponins; Point-of-care testing for cardiac markers; ST-2 and galectin 3 in patients with heart failure; Cardiac markers following heart surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention; Cholesterol, lipoproteins, high sensitivity CRP and other risk factors for atherosclerosis; Myocarditis and cardiac transplant and rejection; New molecular genetic tests in the diagnosis of heart disease; Biomarkers for cholesterol balance.

The field of Clinical Microbiology is evolving at a rapid pace, perhaps more so than any other arm of laboratory medicine. This can be attributed to new technology, including high throughput gene sequencing, multiplex molecular assays, rapid evolution of antimicrobial resistance, and discovery of new pathogens. In addition, modern medical procedures, such as solid organ and stem cell transplantation, have resulted in an explosion of infections with agents that historically have been considered to be of low virulence. This issue of Clinics in Laboratory Medicine will highlight some of the advances in diagnostic microbiology, including MALDI-TOF MS, pathogen discovery, and personalized antimicrobial chemotherapy. In addition, one of the papers will focus on implementation of new technologies and how to maximize patient impact of these new methods.