Keep up the PACE with ASM Knowledge Forum Presentations. The presentations listed below were given at ASM 2006 in Orlando, Florida. Participants who register and complete the questions and evaluation will receive 4.0 PACE CEU. The program number is 195-548-06.

bioMerieux, Inc. is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.^® Program

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“Clinical and Laboratory Implication of KPC-B-Lactamases”
Speaker:  Kenneth S. Thompson Ph.D.
Length of presentation:  23:28

Objectives:

1. Identify which antibiotics carbapenemases inactivate.
2. Discuss the implications of carbapenemases on antibiotic susceptibility tests.
3. Recognize when the antibiotic susceptilsggkbility test results indicate that a     carbapenemase may be present.
4. Examine why KPCs are able to spread within an institution.

“The Role of ID/AST Expert System in the Clinical Lab”
Speaker:  Vincent J.  LaBombardi, Ph.D.
Length of Presentation:  22:56

Objectives:

1. Identify the differences between a rules-based expert systems and phenotype     based expert systems.
2. Discuss the need for an expert system.
3. Explain the relationship between resistance mechanisms, expert systems
    and therapeutic corrections of AST results.
4. Define the components of an optimal expert system.

“2006 Update-CLSI Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Standards”
Speaker:  Janet Hindler, MCLS, MT(ASCP)
Length of Presentation:  28:29

Objectives:

1. List some of the changes/additions in the newest CLSI AST documents.
2. Describe reporting results when there are no standard CLSI guidelines.
3. Discuss use of CLSI M39-A2 for examining changes in cumulative
    antibiogram data.

“Measuring Microbiology’s Value in a Pay 4 Performance Environment”
Speaker:  John G. Thomas, Ph.D.
Length of Presentation:  30:06

Objectives:

1. Identify the departments that microbiology should partner with to demonstrate     their value to the institution.
2. Acknowledge microbiology’s contribution to patient outcomes.
3. Demonstrate the concept of building laboratory workflow around cost justification     measures.
4. Explain the concept of “burden of disease” in the hospital environment.

“Patient Safety:  Collaboration Between Microbiology & Pharmacy”
Speaker:  Steve Ebert, Pharm D.
Length of Presentation:  25:02

Objectives:

1. Explain the workflow dynamics between Microbiology and Pharmacy.
2. Identify the pharmacist’s roles and responsibilities in Antibiotic Stewardship     programs.
3. Explain the role of the pharmacy department in “Pay for Performance” and other     quality initiatives (i.e., JCAHO Core measure compliance) in which the hospital     participates.

“Molecular Testing for Your Lab:  Are you ready?  Get set and go!”
Speaker:  Christine Ginocchio, Ph.D
Length of Presentation:  33:48

Objectives:

1. Describe technical considerations and practical challenges to justifying and     implementing molecular-based testing in particular types of clinical laboratories
2. Explain the overall benefits of molecular testing as related to clinical applications     and review key criteria for choosing types of molecular tests.
3. Locate specific case histories where molecular testing technology provided a     unique benefit to aiding in diagnosis of causative agents of disease and also     where only a molecular-based test is practical.

“Nucleic Acid Sequence Based Amplification (NASBA) and Molecular Beacon Detection for the Real-Time Identification of RSV and Human Metapneumovirus in Pediatric Respiratory Samples”
Speaker:  Christine Ginocchio, Ph.D.
Length of Presentation:  29:52

Objectives:

1. Identify clinical disease associated with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and     Human Metapneumovirus (hMPV) infections in pediatric patients and also     describe alternative patient populations where significant infections are seen.
2. Justify the appropriateness for molecular testing of these viral infectious disease     agents.
3. Describe the technical aspects of the nucleic acid extraction and molecular     amplification/detection methods evaluated.
4. Discuss what different testing techniques were compared in the study and the     approach used to resolve discrepancies between the different methods.

“Blood Culture Update:  The 4 Horsemen Return”
Speaker:  Paul Bourbeau, Ph.D.
Length of Presentation:  25:05

Objectives:

1. Discuss the recommended number of blood culture sets for your patient     population.
2. Recognize the importance of setting a contamination rate goal and implement a     tracking mechanism.
3. Discuss alternative methods for culturing sterile body fluids.