Describe the disc diffusion test and the Etest for antimicrobialsusceptibility.

Basic Clinical Laboratory Techniques 6E
6th Edition
ISBN:9781133893943
Author:ESTRIDGE
Publisher:ESTRIDGE
Chapter6: Basic Clinical Chemistry
Section6.2: Chemistry Specimen Collection And Processing
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Describe the disc diffusion test and the Etest for antimicrobial
susceptibility.

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Step 1

When a microbe like bacteria or fungi is not able to grow in the presence of either one or more antimicrobial drugs is termed as antimicrobial susceptibility. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests are performed to check that a particular bacteria or fungi are susceptible to which antibiotic.

Step 2

Disc diffusion test: An agar plate is taken and bacteria is spread on it. Now, paper disks of antibiotics will be placed on top of it. Then, bacteria will be allowed to grow on the agar medium and will be noticed to check the growth and effect of the antibiotic on it. The amount of space that is covered around the antibiotic disk will thus, indicate the lethality of the particular antibiotic on the bacteria.

E test: It is a method of determining antimicrobial susceptibility. In this method, a strip which is impregnated with antimicrobials will be placed on an agar plate. Now, a strain of bacteria or fungi in placed in the agar and these microorganisms will not grow near a concentration of antibiotic or antifungal.

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