Main description:

The goal of this text is to instill a basic curiosity about and respect for microorganisms as students prepare for their future health care professions. The Microbiology Laboratory: An Introduction to Clinical Microbiology Concepts and Techniques promotes the understanding of how microorganisms live and spread, as well as how to deter their presence when needed. This text stresses the importance of constant vigilance in both quality control and infection control practices. Using simulated patient cases, the text introduces identification techniques as well as the importance of effective communication in quality patient care. Experiments utilize demonstration, critical thinking, and discovery to clarify and solidify important concepts regarding microbial life while remaining directly applicable to challenges encountered daily. In addition to the more traditional activities, several exercises draw directly from student discussion of current events to utilize hands on exploration of relevant questions. The introduction to each lab exercise provides background information to help solidify the "why" behind the many details found in best practices required of health care professionals. The knowledge and experiences gained through these lab activities contribute to an early development of vigilant microbial control practices as a lifelong habit. This text requires little previous science background and assumes only basic math skills. Exercises do not require a large investment in equipment, utilizing hands-on experiences over automated alternatives, making it suitable for a wide variety of instructional situations.

Contents:

About the Author
Acknowledgments
SECTION 1: Introduction to the Microbiology Laboratory

Exercise 1: Inadvertent Transfer of Bacteria in the Lab
Exercise 2: Introduction to Microscopy

SECTION 2: Growth Requirements and Culture Techniques

Exercise 3: Aseptic Transfer of Organisms for Growth
Exercise 4: Environmental Factors Affecting Growth
Exercise 5: Pure Culture Technique: The Streak Plate Method

SECTION 3: Introduction to Identification

Exercise 6: Colony Morphology and Growth Characteristics
Exercise 7: Cellular Morphology, Simple Stains and Smear Preparation
Exercise 8: Gram Staining Technique
Exercise 9: More Differential Stains
Exercise 10: Tools for Identification: A Starting Place
Exercise 11: Biochemical Testing for Identification

SECTION 4: Control Methods

Exercise 12: Heat as a Physical Control Method
Exercise 13: Handwashing in Physical Removal of Organisms
Exercise 14.1: Effectiveness of UVC Radiation as a Physical Microbial Control Method
Exercise 14.2: Effectiveness of Filtration as a Physical Microbial Control Method
Exercise 15: Chemical Control Methods
Exercise 16: Antimicrobial Agent Susceptibility Testing

SECTION 5: Introduction to Identification of Pathogens in Clinical Specimens

Exercise 17: Gram-Positive Pathogenic Cocci and Identification of Pathogens from a Clinical Specimen
Exercise 18: Urinary Tract Infections
Exercise 19: Case Study of a Possible UTI

SECTION 6: Miscellaneous Exercises

Exercise 20: Use of a Dichotomous Key and Flowchart
Exercise 21: Survey of Eukaryotic Microbes
Exercise 22: Acquisition of Antimicrobial Resistance by Transformation

APPENDICES

Appendix 1: Interpreting Relative Amount of Growth
Appendix 2: Colony Morphology Descriptions
Appendix 3: Media Information
Appendix 4: Organism Log
Appendix 5: Proper use of Micropipette
Appendix 6: Proper Glove Use
Appendix 7: Biosafety Level 2 Laboratory Safety Rules and Etiquette
Appendix 8: A Guide to Proper Disposal
Appendix 9: Glossary of Terms
Appendix 10: Bibliography