title: Antimicrobial susceptibility testing for bovine respiratory disease: getting more from diagnostic results.
abstract: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is one of the most common diseases of cattle worldwide. Given the significant bacterial component of this disease, antimicrobial agents remain one of the mainstays of therapy. However, the potential welfare and economic impact resulting from the selection of inappropriate antimicrobial therapy for BRD poses significant risks to both animal and animal owner. To determine the 'best' antimicrobial agent for a specific case, the decision-making process needs to incorporate all available evidence, often including the results of bacterial culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. While antimicrobial susceptibility testing can be a valuable diagnostic tool, integrating the test results into the clinical decision making process can be a challenging experience. This review details the process by which interpretive criteria for susceptibility tests are developed. Principles for how to best integrate antimicrobial susceptibility testing, both at the individual animal test and aggregate test levels, into the clinical decision making process are discussed. Non-traditional testing methodologies and how they may improve susceptibility testing in the future are also reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States. Electronic address: blubbers@vet.k-state.edu.
authors.forename: Brian V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Lubbers
authors.affiliation: SA Pathology, Women's and Children's Hospital, North Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Paediatrics and Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Senior Medical Advisor, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Turnidge
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D048090:Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex / Q000382:microbiology*; D002417:Cattle; D016978:Mannheimia haemolytica / Q000187:drug effects*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000662:veterinary*; D016871:Pasteurellaceae Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: Antimicrobial susceptibility testing; Bovine respiratory disease