Diagnosis of infectious diseases is the prerequisite for proper treatment. Determining correctly the presence, absence, or evidence of previous existence of pathogens like viruses, bacteria, fungi and other parasites can make the difference between losing and saving a patient.
When it comes to areas of diagnostics, microbiology is a major discipline. Every day across the world it becomes necessary to detect pathogens in patient samples. Even more important of a global concern is determining the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) pattern of bacterial pathogens that cause infections.
What is AMR and why is it important?
Antimicrobial resistance refers commonly to microbes not responding to medicines used to treat them. Antibiotic resistance, where bacteria cannot be destroyed using antibiotics, is particularly challenging to healthcare providers. Identifying the AMR pattern is useful as it can help physicians make the correct choice of antibiotic to administer to a patient to ensure efficient treatment.
Measuring zone size (in mm) of antibiotic disc against Klebsiella pneumoniae from invasive sample.
BACT/ALERT and Vitek-2 Automated Systems
The BACT/ALERT 3D is currently the most advanced microbial growth and detection technology available. It allows labs to quickly and accurately detect and recognize the presence or absence of microorganisms. The Vitek-2 system is a sophisticated automated system that is highly efficient at antibiotic susceptibility testing for AMR pattern recognition. There are, in fact, only 3 Vitek-2 machines in use in Bangladesh, one of them in ideSHi.
ideSHi aims to optimize and advance the microbiological diagnosis facilities available in the country. As part of this, we attempt to make diagnostics simpler and more precise while also keeping them affordable. By establishing highly advanced tools like BACT/ALERT and Vitek-2 in our lab, we are replacing conventional culture techniques with more reliable automated systems.
Automated systems in use at ideSHi’s microbiology lab
- We culture specimens (blood, urine, and other bodily fluids) using BACT/ALERT automated system, and
- We carry out pathogen identification and antibiotic sensitivity test using automated VITEK-2 system.
Misdiagnosis has consequences – unnecessary complications, mental burden on patients and families, and in some circumstances, death. As ideSHi grows its diagnostic facilities, we work towards an ever-expanding goal to provide better patient care by faster disease diagnosis, keeping in mind the financial and human costs in mind as we do.
