title: External quality assessment of antimicrobial susceptibility testing in Europe.
abstract: Comparability of results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing is essential for resistance surveillance studies. As different methods may be used in different countries, there may be particular problems with international comparisons of resistance rates. Data from external quality assessment (EQA) surveys participated in by laboratories from several European countries allow comparison of performance between countries. In this study, success rates with organism-antimicrobial agent combinations known to be difficult to test were examined. With penicillin resistance in pneumococci; vancomycin and high-level gentamicin resistance in enterococci; ampicillin, co-amoxiclav and chloramphenicol resistance in Haemophilus influenzae and methicillin resistance in staphylococci there were differences between countries in success rates for discrimination of resistant strains. This study suggests that differences between countries in rates of resistance for some organism-antimicrobial agent combinations should be interpreted with caution. International EQA is useful in the demonstration and clarification of such differences.
authors.affiliation: Quality Assurance Laboratory, Central Public Health Laboratory, London NW9 5HT, UK. organiser@ukneqasmic.win-uk.net
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Snell
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D019980:Amoxicillin-Potassium Clavulanate Combination / Q000494:pharmacology; D000668:Ampicillin Resistance; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002702:Chloramphenicol Resistance; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000502:physiology; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects; D005060:Europe; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000494:pharmacology; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D011786:Quality Control; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects*; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005839:Gentamicins; D019980:Amoxicillin-Potassium Clavulanate Combination