Provides step-by-step protocols and descriptions that enable clinical microbiologists and laboratory staff personnel to 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.

VOLUME 1 -- Procedure Coding, Reimbursement, and Billing Compliance -- Chapter 1.1 : Introduction -- Chapter 1.2 : Procedure Coding, Reimbursement, and Billing Compliance -- Specimen Collection, Transport, and Acceptability -- Chapter 2.1 : Collection, Transport, and Manipulation of Clinical Specimens and Initial Laboratory Concerns -- Aerobic Bacteriology -- Chapter 3.1 : Introduction -- Chapter 3.2 : Staining Procedures -- Chapter 3.3 : Processing, Isolation, Detection, and Interpretation of Aerobic Bacteriology Cultures -- Chapter 3.4 : Blood Cultures -- Chapter 3.5 : Body Fluid Cultures (Excluding Blood, Cerebrospinal Fluid, and Urine) -- Chapter 3.6 : Diagnosis of Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infection: Differential-Time-to-Positivity Cultures and Catheter Tip Cultures -- Chapter 3.7 : Cerebrospinal Fluid Cultures -- Chapter 3.8 : Fecal and Other Gastrointestinal Cultures and Toxin Assays / $r Dylan R. Pillai -- Chapter 3.9 : Genital Cultures -- Chapter 3.10 : Ocular Cultures / $r Deirdre L. Church -- Chapter 3.11 : Respiratory Tract Cultures -- Chapter 3.12 : Urine Cultures -- Chapter 3.13 : Wound Cultures -- Chapter 3.14 : Leptospira Culture -- Chapter 3.15 : Detection of Human Mycoplasmas and Ureaplasmas from Clinical Specimens by Culture and PCR -- Chapter 3.16 : Guidelines for Biochemical Identification of Aerobic Bacteria -- Chapter 3.17 : Biochemical Tests for the Identification of Aerobic Bacteria -- Chapter 3.18 : Identification of Gram-Positive Bacteria -- Anaerobic Bacteriology -- Chapter 4.1 : Introduction -- Chapter 4.2 : Collection, Transport, and Processing of Clinical Specimens for Anaerobic Culture -- Chapter 4.3 : Culture Media for Anaerobes -- Chapter 4.4 : Incubation Techniques for Anaerobic Bacteriology Specimens -- Chapter 4.5 : Examination of Primary Culture Plates for Anaerobic Bacteria -- Chapter 4.6 : Rapid Disk, Spot Tests, and Other Rapid or Primary Methods for the Identification of Anaerobes -- Chapter 4.7 : Commercial Kit Overnight Biochemical Systems for the Identification of Anaerobes -- Chapter 4.8 : Rapid Enzymatic Systems for the Identification of Anaerobes -- Chapter 4.9 : Rapid Biochemical Tests (4 Hours or Less) for the Identification of Anaerobes -- Chapter 4.10 : Use of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight for the Identification of Anaerobic Bacteria -- Chapter 4.11 : Anaerobic Gram-Negative Bacilli -- Chapter 4.12 : Anaerobic Gram-Positive Bacilli -- Chapter 4.13 : Anaerobic Cocci -- Chapter 4.14 : Suggestions for a Practical Scheme for the Workup of Anaerobic Cultures -- Chapter 4.15 : Clostridium difficile as a Pathogen Involved in Antimicrobial Agent-Associated Diarrhea, Colitis, and Pseudomembranous Colitis. VOLUME 2 -- Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing -- Chapter 5.1 : Disk Diffusion Test -- Chapter 5.2 : Broth Microdilution Test -- Chapter 5.3 : Etest -- Chapter 5.4 : Agar Dilution MIC Test -- Chapter 5.5 : Beta-Lactamase Tests -- Chapter 5.6 : Oxacillin Salt-Agar Screen Test To Detect Oxacillin (Methicillin)-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus -- Chapter 5.7 : Detection of VRSA, VISA, and Vancomycin-Heteroresistant Staphylococcus aureus (hVISA) -- Chapter 5.8 : Screening Tests for Detection of High-Level Mupirocin Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus -- Chapter 5.9 : Detection of Inducible Clindamycin Resistance in Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Streptococcus spp. Beta-Hemolytic Group -- Chapter 5.10 : Screen Tests To Detect High-Level Aminoglycoside Resistance in Enterococcus spp. -- Chapter 5.11 : Agar Screen Test To Detect Vancomycin Resistance in Enterococcus spp. -- Chapter 5.12 : Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Testing for Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Proteus mirabilis -- Chapter 5.13 : The Modified Hodge Confirmatory Test (or the Carbapenem Inactivation Test) for Carbapenemase Production in Enterobacteriaceae -- Chapter 5.14 : 5.14 Tests To Assess Bactericidal Activity -- Chapter 5.15 : Serum Inhibitory and Bactericidal Titers -- Chapter 5.16 : Synergism Testing: Broth Microdilution Checkerboard and Broth Macrodilution Methods -- Chapter 5.17 : Quality Assurance Measures for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing -- Chapter 5.18 : Evaluation and Verification of Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test Systems -- Chapter 5.19 : Selecting Antimicrobial Agents for Testing and Reporting -- Chapter 5.20 : Preparation of Routine Media and Reagents Used in Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing -- Chapter 5.21 : Preparation of Broth Microdilution MIC Trays -- Chapter 5.22 : Appendixes -- Aerobic Actinomycetes -- Chapter 6.1 : Introduction -- Chapter 6.2 : Specimen Examination and Primary Isolation -- Chapter 6.3 : Media and Methods Used for Phenotypic Characterization of Aerobic Actinomycetes -- Chapter 6.4 : Molecular Identification -- Chapter 6.5 : Susceptibility Testing -- Chapter 6.6 : Appendixes -- Mycobacteriology and Antimycobacterial Susceptibility Testing -- Chapter 7.1 : Introduction -- Chapter 7.2 : General Mycobacterial Procedures -- Chapter 7.3 : Solid Media Used for Isolation -- Chapter 7.4 : Liquid Media Used for Isolation -- Chapter 7.5 : Identification of Mycobacteria -- Chapter 7.6 : Nucleic Acid Amplification Procedures for Identification from Specimen -- Chapter 7.7 : Susceptibility Testing by Liquid Media Methods -- Chapter 7.8 : Susceptibility Testing by Agar Proportion Method for Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex -- Chapter 7.9 : Susceptibility Testing by TREK Sensititre Microdilution Plates -- Mycology and Antifungal Susceptibility Testing -- Chapter 8.1 : Introduction and General Considerations -- Chapter 8.2 : Specimen Selection, Collection, and Transport -- Chapter 8.3 : Specimen Examination -- Chapter 8.4 : Processing Specimens for Fungal Culture -- Chapter 8.5 : Examination and Evaluation of Primary Cultures -- Chapter 8.6 : Presumptive Identification Tests for Yeasts Isolated on Primary Culture -- Chapter 8.7 : Identification of Moulds on Primary Culture -- Chapter 8.8 : Full Identification of Yeasts -- Chapter 8.9 : Mould Identification -- Chapter 8.10 : Antifungal Susceptibility Testing -- Parasitology -- Chapter 9.1 : Introduction -- Chapter 9.2 : Collection and Preservation of Fecal Specimens -- Chapter 9.3 : Macroscopic and Microscopic Examination of Fecal Specimens -- Chapter 9.4 : Special Stains for Coccidia and Microsporidia -- Chapter 9.5 : Additional Techniques for Stool Examination -- Chapter 9.6 : Other Specimens from the Intestinal Tract and the Urogenital System -- Chapter 9.7 : Sputum, Aspirates, and Biopsy Material -- Chapter 9.8 : Detection of Blood Parasites -- Chapter 9.9 : Culture -- Chapter 9.10 : Appendixes -- Viruses and Chlamydiae -- Chapter 10.1 : Laboratory Diagnosis of Viral Infections: Introduction -- Chapter 10.2 : Selection, Maintenance, and Observation of Uninoculated Monolayer Cell Cultures -- Chapter 10.3 : Cell Culture Techniques: Serial Propagation and Maintenance of Monolayer Cell Cultures -- Chapter 10.4 : Specimen Collection and Processing -- Chapter 10.5 : Viral Culture: Isolation of Viruses in Cell Cultures -- Chapter 10.6 : Isolation of Chlamydia spp. in Cell Culture -- Chapter 10.7 : Direct Detection of Viruses and Chlamydia in Clinical Samples. VOLUME 3 -- Immunology -- Chapter 11.1 : Immunology Introduction -- Chapter 11.2 : Serologic Diagnosis of Group A Streptococcal Infections -- Chapter 11.3 : Detection of Legionella Antigen by Direct Immunofluorescence -- Chapter 11.4 : Laboratory Diagnosis of Syphilis -- Chapter 11.5 : Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi Antibodies -- Chapter 11.6 : Serodiagnosis of Rickettsial Infections -- Chapter 11.7 : Virology Introduction -- Chapter 11.8 : Human Immunodeficiency Virus Serology -- Chapter 11.9 : Epstein-Barr Virus -- Chapter 11.10 : Cytomegalovirus Serology -- Chapter 11.11 : Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2 Serology -- Chapter 11.12 : Flow Cytometry -- Chapter 11.13 : Whole-Blood Lymphocyte Immunophenotyping Using Cell Surface Markers by Flow Cytometry -- Chapter 11.14 : Natural Killer Cell Assays -- Chapter 11.15 : Dendritic Cell Assays -- Chapter 11.16 : Neutrophil Assays -- Chapter 11.17 : Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells -- Chapter 11.18 : Lymphocyte Proliferation Assay -- Chapter 11.19 : Measurement of Antigen-Specific Cellular Responses Using the Polychromatic Flow Cytometry Intracellular Cytokine Staining Assay -- Chapter 11.20 : Interferon Gamma Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Spot Assay -- Chapter 11.21 : Bead- and Plate-Based Cytokine Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays -- Molecular Diagnostics -- Chapter 12.1 : Introduction -- Chapter 12.2 : General Aspects of Molecular Diagnostics -- Chapter 12.3 : Molecular Methods for Identification of Cultured Microorganisms -- Chapter 12.4 : Sequence-Based Identification and Typing -- Chapter 12.5 : Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) for Microorganism Identification -- Chapter 12.6 : Appendix 12.6-1-FDA-Cleared or Approved Nucleic Acid-Based Tests -- Chapter 12.7 : Appendix 12.7-1-Location in CMPH4 of Molecular Procedures Outside of Section 12 -- Epidemiologic and Infection Control Microbiology -- Chapter 13.1 : Introduction -- Chapter 13.2 : Laboratory Support for Infection Prevention: Collaboration with Benefits for All -- Chapter 13.3 : Environmental Sampling and Cultures -- Chapter 13.4 : Outbreak Investigations: Laboratory and Epidemiologic Concepts -- Chapter 13.5 : Microbial Strain Typing for Epidemiology and Infection Control -- Chapter 13.6 : Surveillance Cultures -- Chapter 13.7 : Infection Control in the Laboratory -- Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Laboratory Records, and Water Quality -- Chapter 14.1 : Quality Assessment and Improvement (Quality Assurance) -- Process Improvement -- Chapter 14.2 : Quality Control -- Chapter 14.3 : Laboratory Records -- Chapter 14.4 : Preparation and Quality Control of Laboratory Water -- Chapter 14.5 : Overview of Individualized Quality Control Plan (IQCP) -- Biohazards and Safety -- Chapter 15.1 : Introduction -- Chapter 15.2 : Biological Safety and Biohazard Prevention -- Chapter 15.3 : Biohazard Containment -- Chapter 15.4 : Laboratory Instrumentation and Equipment -- Chapter 15.5 : Special Pathogens and Employee Safety -- Chapter 15.6 : Packing and Shipping Infectious Substances -- Chapter 15.7 : Management of Laboratory Accidents -- Chapter 15.8 : Management of Infectious Waste -- Chapter 15.9 : Risk Assessment -- Bioterrorism -- Chapter 16.1 : General Introduction to Bioterrorism and Emerging Infectious Diseases -- Chapter 16.2 : Levels of Laboratory Safety -- Chapter 16.3 : Packing and Shipping Select Agents -- Chapter 16.4 : Anthrax-Bacillus anthracis -- Chapter 16.5 : Botulinum Toxin-Clostridium botulinum -- Chapter 16.6 : Brucellosis-Brucella spp. -- Chapter 16.7 : Plague-Yersinia pestis -- Chapter 16.8 : Tularemia-Francisella tularensis -- Chapter 16.9 : Melioidosis (Burkholderia pseudomallei) and Glanders (Burkholderia mallei) -- Chapter 16.10 : Smallpox-Variola Major -- Chapter 16.11 : Novel Influenza Viruses -- Chapter 16.12 : Q Fever-Coxiella burnetii -- Chapter 16.13 : Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B-Staphylococcus aureus -- Chapter 16.14 : Clinical Laboratory Bioterrorism Readiness Plan -- Chapter 16.15 : Biochemical Procedures -- Index.