Clinical Bacteriology

	Clinical Bacteriology Program - Overview
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Types of Samples and Tests available: Gram Smears Gram Smear Program Interpretation criteria Photo Album Results All Results Sputum sample results Instructions Online Data Entry Handling Blood Cultures Identification Challenges Organisms Sources Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing CLSI resources AST Critiques Clinical Relevancy Public Health Notification Infection Control Notice Throat cultures Nose cultures Urine colony count protocol Sputum Paper challenges Clostridium difficile Program Overview Results & Critiques Committee members Other Information Background Participant surveys EQA Participation Annual Reports Goals & Objectives See Send Out Dates See Order Form	CMPT's Clinical Bacteriology Program Established in 1982 (ISO 9001:2000 Registration 2002) CMPT provides an external quality assessment program to clinical bacteriology/microbiology laboratories. Laboratories participating in the clinical bacteriology CMPT program are separated into peer categories (A, B, C, and C1) based on a recommended program-developed work-related weighted rating scale. The rating scale is based on complexity of samples processed. Individual laboratories and provincial accreditation programs decide ‘best fit’. Please see History of Category Schema
	Number of samples Clinical Bacteriology Surveys are shipped 4 times per year. Each survey consists of 7 simulated samples made up from the choices listed below. Only category A laboratories receive all 7 samples, category B laboratories receive 5 sample, category C laboratories receive 3 samples, and category C1 laboratories receive 2 samples per survey. Paper challenges: 2 per year, alternate with C. difficile challenges. C. difficile challenges: 2 per year, alternate with paper challenges. Supplementary Gram Smears introduced 2009 - first send out August 2009. Consist of 2 smears per sendout/2 sendouts year: Sent February and August of each year with the Clinical Bacteriology survey sendout. To be used in addition to the Gram smear challenges currently in the Clinical Bacteriology program. As indicated to the left, several components make up the Clinical Bacteriology Program. For specific information, please visit the specific links listed or view the challenges description page.
	Participant results Results are returned to CMPT using on-line data entry (link is on the HOME page) If necessary, reports may be faxed using CMPT report forms. Instructions for sample handling and reporting are included in each send out package.
	Grading Grading schemes are generally on a 4-point scale, and address identification, urine colony count, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, Gram stain analysis and interpretation, and importantly clinical relevancy reporting of the challenge. Participants are provided with their individual results via confidential letters, together with summaries of the collated results across all responding laboratories, sorted by category and clinical information regarding the challenge (see Critiques). End of year assessments printed in the CMPT Annual Report allow individual laboratories comparisons with means calculated from laboratories replying to all surveys.
top page revised: 01 Feb 2010