Annual Report on External Quality Assessment of Clinical Microbiology Laboratory in Korea (2005)

Lee, Nam Yong; Kim, Myoung Sook; Kim, Bong Chul; Kim, Min Joong; Kim, Sunjoo; Kim, Sung Il; Kim, Eui Chong; Kim, Jae Seok; Yong, Dongeun; Lee, Jang Ho; Lee, Chang Kyu; Chang, In Ho; Chang, Chul Hoon; Joo, Se Ik

Abstract

Two trials of external quality assessment for clinical microbiology laboratory were performed in 2005. A total of 12 specimens were distributed. Six specimens were distributed to 308 laboratories with 272 (88.3%) returns in Trial I and 276 (89.6%) returns in Trial II. The acceptable percentages of Gram-stain were relatively good. The acceptable percentages of bacterial identification on Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Aeromonas hydrophila, Enterococcus casseliflavus, Brucella species (Trial I) were 80.1%, 98.3%, 87.6%, 81.3%, 55.5%, 38.1%, respectively. The acceptable percentages of bacterial identification on Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, Brahamella catarrhalis, Burkholderia cepacia, Campylobacter fetus, Rhodoccus equi (Trial II) were 97.5%, 85.9%, 71.0%, 85.9%, 8.3%, 51.0%, respectively. The acceptable percentages for antimicrobial susceptibility tests on Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae were relatively high, but those on Klebsiella pneumoniae for ESBL and Enterococcus faecalis for vancomycin-resistance were not high. In conclusion, the acceptable percentages of bacterial stain and identification were relatively good except C. fetus. However, it is necessary that the quality assurance of the individual laboratories should be improved for antimicrobial susceptibility tests, and the selection of the most appropriate antimicrobial agents to test should be also considered.