Clinical Microbiology: Specimen Handling, Culture Basics, Antimicrobial Susceptibility, and Contamination Prevention

Course overview

This course reviews the clinical microbiology testing process from specimen collection through final reporting. Topics include specimen handling, transport, microscopy, staining, culture media, inoculation, incubation, microorganism identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, contamination prevention, biosafety, quality practices, documentation, and communication. Participants will examine how specimen quality, culture conditions, testing errors, contamination, and result interpretation can affect the accuracy and clinical usefulness of microbiology findings.