6 Identifying pathogens in your workplace

You should now have a better understanding of the microbiology techniques used in a variety of settings for identifying bacteria, and in particular the GLASS priority pathogens. Before you finish the module, complete this final activity, which will help you think about your laboratory’s diagnostic capacity.

Activity 15: Identifying pathogens in your workplace

Timing: Allow 20 minutes

Think about the eight GLASS priority pathogens and then reflect and make notes in response to the following questions.

  1. Are you identifying all of these pathogens to the required level in your laboratory?
  2. Are you confident that the identification is accurate?
  3. Are there areas where you feel your laboratory may not be reliably identifying pathogens? Which organisms does this apply to?
  4. How could the diagnostic capacity of your laboratory be improved and what are the barriers to achieving this? For example, what extra equipment and reagents might you need? Are the correct controls being used? Do staff need more training?

Finally, think about how you would make a case to your Laboratory Manager to convince them to support you in improving your laboratory’s diagnostic capacity.

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Discussion

You may find it helpful to discuss your thoughts with colleagues before talking to your Laboratory Manager.

5 Fundamentals of quality control for isolating and identifying bacteria

7 End-of-module quiz