Pcr For Clinical Microbiology

Not another textbook, but a valuable tool for doctors and microbiologists wanting to know how to set up a PCR diagnostic microbiology laboratory according to current regulatory standards and perform assays supplied with patient clinical diagnostic criteria and easy to follow protocols. Whether laboratories are using commercial kits or in-house methods developed in their own laboratories or adopted from published methods, all clinical microbiology laboratories need to be able to understand, critically evaluate, perform and interpret these tests according to rigorous and clinically appropriate standards and international guidelines. The cost and effort of development and evaluation of in-house tests is considerable and many laboratories do not have the resources to do so. This compendium is a vehicle to improve and maintain the clinical relevance and high quality of diagnostic PCR. It is a unique collection of; guidelines for PCR laboratory set up and quality control, test selection criteria, methods and detailed step by step protocols for a diagnostic assays in the field of molecular microbiology. The structure of the book provides the PCR fundamentals and describes the clinical aspects and diagnosis of infectious disease. This is followed by protocols divided into; bacteria, virus, fungi and parasites, and susceptibility screens. The inclusion of medical criteria and interpretation adds value to the compendium and benefits clinicians, scientists, researchers and students of clinical diagnostic microbiology

Rapid Cycle Real-Time PCR is a powerful analytical tool with broad application for the basic and applied life sciences. Compared with conventional PCR technology, Rapid Cycle Real-Time PCR is faster, has greater specificity, and is more easily adaptable for a variety of diagnostic tests, including qualitative, quantitative and mutation detection assays. This book provides general overviews of this technology for use in the clinical microbiology laboratory as well as specific diagnostic protocols for the detection of viral, bacterial and fungal pathogens and genetically modified organisms in human specimens and foodstuffs. All of these protocols have been developed, verified, and validated by experts in the field and should be of great interest for clinical microbiologists, pathologists, laboratory technologists as well as practicing physicians.

DNA Methods in Clinical Microbiology describes the novel DNA-based technology now used in the diagnosis and management of infectious diseases. It is a concise, yet readable, overview written primarily for clinicians, clinical microbiologists, medical students and undergraduates in medical and veterinary microbiology. The book has two primary aims. First, to explain the principles of these methods at the `molecular' level. Second, to provide a clinical perspective by reporting results from actual DNA-based investigations on a range of specimens. Those approaching DNA methods for the first time are assisted by a brief résumé of the relevant features of nucleic acids (Chapter 2): this information is essential for an understanding of later chapters. Subsequent text covers detection, characterization and quantification of pathogens by a variety of methods - e.g., target amplification (PCR, LCR, NASBA, TMA and SDA), signal amplification (bDNA) and probe-based techniques; the chapter on typing describes nearly twenty named molecular methods, including spoligotyping and MLST. All chapters include an adequate range of current reference from which, if required, detailed protocols can be obtained. The diagrams are clear, and readers are assisted by a detailed index.

About the Diagnostic Standards of Care Series A key issue for every laboratory and individual laboratory practitioner is the assessment of risk and a current working knowledge of the standards of care established for diagnostic testing via guidelines, major studies and trials. The Diagnostic Standards of Care series presents an overview of the key diagnoses in clinical pathology using case examples to illustrate effective analysis of the case in light of current evidence and standards for the problem discussed. In addition to being practical diagnostic guides, these volumes will have a unique emphasis on quality assurance and evidence-based testing practices and the role of the pathologist in ensuring quality and patient safety. Clinical Microbiology addresses common medical errors seen in the clinical microbiology laboratory in order to show these errors to pathologists and laboratory technicians as well as clinicians. The goal is to allow such errors to be corrected by both individual effort and a systems approach in the laboratory. The book addresses potential medical errors in test ordering and specimen collection, testing in the laboratory, and reporting and interpretation of test results. Each of these phases can have an adverse impact on the diagnosis and treatment of an infectious disease if a medical error occurs. Potential medical errors are described and discussed in a clinical case-based learning format to effectively illustrate the conditions that contribute to these errors and enable the reader to recognize and avoid them in daily practice. Clinical Microbiology Features Descriptions of potential errors in test ordering and specimen collection in clinical microbiology Descriptions of potential errors in test performance in clinical microbiology Descriptions of potential errors in test reporting and interpretation in clinical microbiology Clinical case discussions provide "real world" illustrations of potential errors and how to anticipate and avoid them in practice Is pocket-sized for portability

Rapid Cycle Real-Time PCR is a powerful analytical tool with broad application for the basic and applied life sciences. Compared with conventional PCR technology, Rapid Cycle Real-Time PCR is faster, has greater specificity, and is more easily adaptable for a variety of diagnostic tests, including qualitative, quantitative and mutation detection assays. This book provides general overviews of this technology for use in the clinical microbiology laboratory as well as specific diagnostic protocols for the detection of viral, bacterial and fungal pathogens and genetically modified organisms in human specimens and foodstuffs. All of these protocols have been developed, verified, and validated by experts in the field and should be of great interest for clinical microbiologists, pathologists, laboratory technologists as well as practicing physicians.

In response to the ever-changing needs and responsibilities of the clinical microbiology field, Clinical Microbiology Procedures Handbook, Fourth Edition has been extensively reviewed and updated to present the most prominent procedures in use today. The Clinical Microbiology Procedures Handbook provides step-by-step protocols and descriptions that allow clinical microbiologists and laboratory staff personnel to confidently and accurately perform all analyses, including appropriate quality control recommendations, from the receipt of the specimen through processing, testing, interpretation, presentation of the final report, and subsequent consultation.

Infectious diseases constitute a major portion of illnesses worldwide, and microbiology is a main pillar of clinical infectious disease practice. Knowledge of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites is integral to practice in clinical infectious disease. Practical Medical Microbiology is an invaluable reference for medical microbiology instructors. Drs. Berkowitz and Jerris are experienced teachers in the fields of infectious diseases and microbiology respectively, and provide expert insight into microorganisms that affect patients, how organisms are related to each other, and how they are isolated and identified in the microbiology laboratory. The text also is designed to provide clinicians the knowledge they need to facilitate communication with the microbiologist in their laboratory. The text takes a systematic approach to medical microbiology, describing taxonomy of human pathogens and consideration of organisms within specific taxonomic groups. The text tackles main clinical infections caused by different organisms, and supplements these descriptions with clinical case studies, in order to demonstrate the effects of various organisms. Practical Medical Microbiology is an invaluable resource for students, teachers, and researchers studying clinical microbiology, medical microbiology, infectious diseases, and virology.

A modern, evaluative, and integrative approach to diagnostic microbiology encouraging problem-solving in the clinical laboratory context through the use of examples to illustrate clinical and diagnostic issues Clinical Microbiology for Diagnostic Laboratory Scientists is designed to encourage readers to develop a way of thinking that can be applied to any diagnostic scenario in microbiology. Through consideration of a selected range of infections caused by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, and helminths, the book encourages readers to explore connections between the available information about clinical symptoms, pathogenesis of infections, and the approaches used in laboratory diagnosis, in order to develop new insights. The book begins with an introductory chapter that outlines the scope of clinical diagnostic microbiology and the key areas for the laboratory scientist to be aware of. The subsequent six chapters review a type of infection in depth, using particular pathogenic microorganisms to illustrate salient points. At the end of each chapter there are three exercises related to management of a diagnostic service and assessing the suitability of test methods to specific contexts. There are no right or wrong answers to these, but the reader can discuss them with their laboratory colleagues or university tutor. Makes extensive use of published research in the form of journal articles, publically available epidemiological data, professional guidelines, and specialist websites Stimulates the reader in critical appraisal of published evidence and encourages problem-solving in the laboratory Outlines the scope of clinical diagnostic microbiology and the key areas for the laboratory scientist to be aware of Considers topics relevant to professional scientists working in the area of diagnostic microbiology Clinical Microbiology for Diagnostic Laboratory Scientists is ideal for post graduate scientists intending to pursue careers in diagnostic clinical microbiology and for biomedical scientists, clinical scientists, and full time students studying for upper level qualifications in biomedical science, microbiology, or virology.