ABSTRACT
S usceptibility testing of microorganisms recovered from clinical specimens is not a simple undertaking. Laboratories that perform this testing must establish guidelines that indicate when susceptibility testing will be performed, which methods will be used, and which antimicrobial agents will be tested. These guidelines are not arbitrar ily determined; they require input from clinicians and pharmacists and should incorporate the recommendations of the National Commit tee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) and the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies. This chapter includes a discussion of these topics as well as the topic of emerging antimicrobial resistance.
