When less is more: the art of communicating clinical microbiology results.

The clinical microbiology laboratory is capable of identifying microorganisms in clinical specimens faster and more accurately than ever before. At face value, this should enable patient care providers to make better-informed decisions and target antimicrobial therapies to deliver individualized care. Ironically, more complete and specific reporting of microorganisms isolated from specimens may result in overtreatment based on the presence of a pathogen, even in the absence of clear signs of clinical infection.

Comparison of the Simplexa GBS Direct and ARIES GBS assays for the detection of in broth-enriched swab specimens.

We conducted a comparative evaluation of the FDA-cleared Simplexa GBS Direct and ARIES GBS molecular assays for the detection of (Group B , GBS) in 386 prospectively collected, broth-enriched vaginal/rectal swab specimens. The sensitivity of each test was 96.2% and specificity was ≥98.

Multiplex High-Definition Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay for the Diagnosis of Tick-borne Infections in Children.

Background: ticks can carry species as well as other pathogens that cause human disease. The frequency of tick-borne infections and coinfections in children with suspected Lyme disease is unknown, creating clinical uncertainty about the optimal approach to diagnosis.

Methods: We enrolled children aged 1-21 years presenting to 1 of 8 Pedi Lyme Net emergency departments for evaluation of Lyme disease.

A phase 2 trial of a topical antiseptic bundle in head and neck cancer surgery: Effects on surgical site infection and the oral microbiome.

Background: Head and neck cancer (HNC) surgery remains an important component of management but is associated with a high rate of surgical site infection (SSI). We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of a topical mucosal antiseptic bundle in preventing SSI and evaluate microbial predictors of infection through a genomic sequencing approach.

Methods: This study was an open-label, single-arm, single-center, phase 2 trial of a topical mucosal antiseptic bundle in patients with HNC undergoing aerodigestive tract resection and reconstruction.

Commentary: Can Automated Blood Culture Systems Be Both New and Improved?

Automated continuous monitoring blood culture (CMBC) systems are a cornerstone of the clinical microbiology laboratory. Despite the critical role of these systems in diagnosing life-threatening bloodstream infections, their core technologies and performance characteristics have remained largely unchanged since their introduction in the 1990s. This stability and uniformity have enabled the development of quality benchmarks, such as percent positivity and contamination rate; downstream diagnostics, such as direct identification and susceptibility testing of microorganisms in positive cultures; and clinical guidelines based on time to positivity or duration of bacteriemia.