title: [Quality control of multicenter evaluation studies of the in vitro activity of antibiotics].
abstract: The estimation of the in vitro activity of an antibiotic, by different laboratories, requires the measurement, in standardized conditions, of the inhibition zone diameters versus a series of strains distributed to these laboratories (kits). Using the studies realized with two antibiotics, denoted by A and B, we observed an important variability between the different laboratories for a given strain and a less but still significant variability within the laboratories. Variance analysis revealed a significant interaction between strains and experimental laboratories. These results prevent the establishment of a standard diameter for a given strain but permit the quality control of the measurements and the improvement of the experimental design for future studies.
authors.affiliation: Unité d'Informatique Scientifique, Institut Pasteur, Paris.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tekaia
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Derlot
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Claverie
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Courvalin
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000592:standards*; D008954:Models, Biological; D011786:Quality Control
vernacular_title: Contrôle de qualité des études multicentriques d'évaluation de l'activité in vitro des antibiotiques.