The tables in VET08 are intended for use with CLSI document VET01.

The data in the tables are valid only if the methodologies in CLSI document VET01 are followed. This standard contains information about disk and dilution test procedures for aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria.

Clinicians depend heavily on information from the microbiology laboratory for treating their seriously ill patients. The clinical importance of antimicrobial susceptibility test results demands that these tests be performed under optimal conditions and that laboratories have the capability to provide results for the newest antimicrobial agents.

The tables presented in VET08 represent the most current information for drug selection, interpretation, and quality control using the procedures standardized in VET01. Users should replace previously published tables with these new tables. Changes in the tables since the previous editions appear in boldface type.

While it is well understood that sharps such as needles are
responsible for many injuries, it is very important to understand
that, in the clinical laboratory, there are other devices that have
the potential of causing injury. Though not an inclusive list,
devices that have the potential for causing injury include:

– phlebotomy needles

– syringe needles used in the laboratory and used for drawing
blood

– winged blood collection sets

– glass capillary tubes

– glass blood collection tubes

– glass test tubes

– glass pipettes

– glass slides

– instrument probes

– scalpels used in the laboratory

– lancets – microtome blades.

– test ordering and receipt by the laboratory/phlebotomy
team

– patient specimen acquisition and identification

– computer functions

– specimen transportation to the laboratory

– staffing

– analysis

– test result reporting

– reagents and supplies

– usual internal institutional partners for testing support

– test referral, specimen packaging and transportation, and
communication to external reference laboratories

– reporting tests of public health importance

– transportation of isolates for public health testing

– communication with the public health laboratory for
epidemiologic surveillance

– morgue operations

A variety of laboratory techniques can be used to measure the in vitro susceptibility of bacteria to antimicrobial agents. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute document VET06—Methods for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Infrequently Isolated or Fastidious Bacteria Isolated From Animals describes the standard disk diffusion method, as well as standard broth dilution (macrodilution and microdilution) and agar dilution techniques for infrequently isolated or fastidious bacteria from animals. It also includes procedures designed to standardize test performance. The performance, applications, and limitations of the current CLSI-recommended methods are described.

The tabular information in this document presents test conditions, QC recommendations, agents to consider for primary testing, and breakpoints. In an increasing number of compounds for which veterinary-specific breakpoints are not available, human breakpoints are used. As more veterinary-specific information becomes available, these changes will be incorporated into future revisions of this document.

VET03/VET04-S2
This document provides updated tables for the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute antimicrobial susceptibility testing guidelines VET03-A and VET04-A2.

Supplemental tables for VET01 are published in CLSI document VET08.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing is indicated for any organism that contributes to an infectious process warranting antimicrobial chemotherapy if its susceptibility cannot be reliably predicted from knowledge of the organism's identity. Susceptibility tests are most often indicated when the causative organism is thought to belong to a species capable of exhibiting resistance to commonly used antimicrobial agents.

Various laboratory methods can be used to measure the in vitro susceptibility of bacteria to antimicrobial agents. In many veterinary microbiology laboratories, an agar disk diffusion method is used routinely for testing common, rapidly growing, and certain fastidious bacterial pathogens. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute standard VET01-Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Disk and Dilution Susceptibility Tests for Bacteria Isolated From Animals describes disk diffusion, as well as standard broth dilution (macrodilution and microdilution) and agar dilution, and it includes a series of procedures to standardize the way the tests are performed. The performance, applications, and limitations of the current CLSI-recommended methods are also described. The supplemental information (VET08 tables) used with this standard represents the most current information for antimicrobial agent selection, interpretation, and quality control using the procedures standardized in VET01.