Deck 60: Quality in the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory

Question 1

Positive patient outcomes produced through quality management programs in the microbiology laboratory are

A)reduced hospitalization time.
B)reduced cost of stay.
C)reduced turn-around time for diagnosis of infection.
D)appropriate antimicrobial therapy.
E)All of the above are correct.

Answer 1

A
The issue of laboratory quality has evolved over more than three decades since the first recommendations for quality control were published. Quality now also includes total quality management (TQM), continuous quality improvement (CQI) or performance improvement (PI), and quality assurance (QA). QC is now associated with the internal activities that ensure diagnostic test accuracy. QA is associated with those external activities that ensure positive patient outcomes. All those outcomes listed are positive patient outcomes in the microbiology laboratory.

Question 2

Criteria that should be considered for rejection of specimens include

A)missing or inadequate information such as clinical diagnosis, current drug treatment, or other helpful facts.
B)illegible physician name.
C)improperly collected or stored specimen.
D)requests of multiple tests on one specimen.
E)All of the above are correct.

Answer 2

C
Only specimens that have been compromised in some way that might produce less than adequate results should be rejected by the laboratory. Some specimens might be difficult or impossible to recollect and no specimen should be rejected based on clerical or other easily corrected problems.

Question 3

Long-term storage (>1 year) of stock aerobic and anaerobic bacteria can be accomplished by

A)subculture onto trypticase soy agar (TSA) slants.
B)freezing at 70° C.
C)storing them on blood agar plates at 37° C.
D)All of the above are correct.

Answer 3

B
For proper quality control, the laboratory should have enough organisms on hand to cover the full range of testing of all necessary materials such as media, kits, and reagents. Nonfastidious (rapidly growing), aerobic bacterial organisms can be saved up to 1 year on trypticase soy agar (TSA) slants. Long-term storage (>1 year) of aerobes or anaerobes can be accomplished either by lyophilization (freeze drying) or freezing at 70 C.

Question 4

Continuous quality assurance in the microbiology laboratory includes

A)monitoring personnel performance and providing education.
B)instrument maintenance and monitoring.
C)checking the performance of media, reagents, and other products.
D)All of the above are correct.