Antibiogram

Definition

An antibiogram is a laboratory test result that shows the susceptibility of bacterial strains to various antimicrobial agents. It helps guide the selection of appropriate antibiotics for treatment.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Antibiograms are crucial for identifying antibiotic resistance patterns in specific bacteria.
2. They are typically presented in a tabular format showing different antibiotics and their effectiveness against isolated bacteria.
3. Hospitals and healthcare facilities use antibiograms to monitor local resistance trends and make informed treatment decisions.
4. The data for an antibiogram is usually collected from clinical specimens over a set period, often annually.
5. Antibiograms play an essential role in developing guidelines for empiric antibiotic therapy.

Review Questions

• What information does an antibiogram provide?
• How can healthcare facilities utilize antibiograms to combat antibiotic resistance?
• Why is it important to regularly update antibiogram data?

Related terms

Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC): The lowest concentration of an antimicrobial agent that inhibits visible growth of a microorganism.

Empiric Therapy: Treatment begun before a definitive diagnosis is obtained, based on clinical judgment and experience.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST): A procedure used to determine which specific antibiotics a particular bacterium or fungus is sensitive to.