| I. | Specimen Collection and Evaluation for Adequacy |
| Quality control and quality assurance practices | |
| importance of imposing screening criteria on sputum and tracheal aspirate specimens submitted for bacterial culture. | |
| Specimen contamination | |
| II. | Techniques and Interpretation of Tests Used in Core Laboratory Practice |
| Strengths and limitations of rapid immunoassays (i.e. card-type lateral flow EIAs) for the detection of Influenza A, Influenza B, and Respiratory Syncytial viruses | |
| Impact on the PPV of these tests when they are used when these respiratory viruses are not circulating in the community. | |
| Methods and method
interferences- Basic principles PCR/RT-PCR FISH HPLC ELISA Spectrophotometric analysis | |
| III. | Infectious Disease Serology |
| HCV serology interpretation using strength of reactivity | |
| Anti-C-9 peptide for Borrelia burgdorferi | |
| Treponena-specific EIA screen | |
| Western blot for Borrelia burgdorferi | |
| Genetic sub
classification of virus to predict drug responsiveness (e.g. Hepatitis C virus genotyping to predict responsiveness of a patient to interferon therapy) | |
| West Nile Virus serology | |
| IV. | Laboratory Role in Use of Antimicrobial Agents |
| Antifungal susceptibility testing | |
| Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria | |
| New agents and their spectrum of activity | |
| The detection and reporting of emerging types of antibiotic resistance in bacteria | |
| V. | Infection Control Practices (monitoring, surveillance, reporting) |
| MRSA screening | |
| C. difficile | |
| VI. | Molecular Microbiology |
| Comprehensive viral screens by amplification techniques replacing viral cultures | |
| Use of nucleic acid detection methods for infectious agents (e.g. chlamydia, GC, hepatitis C, HIV, etc.) | |
| Cervical cancer as an infectious disease and primary screening for disease risk with papilloma virus detection methods | |
| Strep testing in pregnancy | |
| VII. | New and Emerging Infectious Diseases |
| Diagnosis of tick-borne infections (e.g. Lyme, ehrlichiosis) using serology, blood smears, and histology | |
|
Diagnosis of mosquito-borne infections (malaria, west Nile, Dengue) using
serology and blood smears Hepatitis C serology, PCR, histology | |
| Antimicrobial susceptibility/resistance testing | |
| E. coli 0157:H7 | |
| Emerging respiratory pathogens -- avian influenza, including pandemic influenza plans | |
| VIII. | Bioterrorism |
| Laboratory preparedness | |
| Referral mechanisms for suspect microbes | |
| IX. | Laboratory Operations and Administration |
| Updates to Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines | |
| References |