1. All results obtained from data compiled by The Surveillance Network (TSN). UCSF Clinical Microbiology lab sends data to TSN periodically. Patient identifying information is stripped and results entered into a database. This database can then be queried for hospital-level data on antibiotic susceptibility.
2. Results, unless otherwise noted, cover the calendar year 1/1/200X to 12/31/200X.
3. TSN defines duplicate isolates as those organisms recovered from the patient within a five day period. Because patients infected with a resistant isolate may have that isolate recovered on multiple occasions, use of all isolates from a given patient may bias antibiogram results towards an increased level of resistance. This may affect choices for empiric therapy. The National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards recommends using only the first isolate per patient per year for reporting susceptibility. However, we do not have this capability with the current technology. Thus, results as presented here represent a compromise between reporting all isolates and reporting according to NCCLS standards.
4. The report covers the most frequent pathogens of concern. Queries to other specific pathogens or resistance patterns can be performed on request. Consult ID Pharmacy.
5. Rates of extended-spectrum b-lactamase producing organisms (primarily E. coli and Klebsiella species) may be underestimated by this report. If an isolate with a phenotype suspicious for ESBL production is detected, the isolate is reported as clinically resistant to penicillins and cephalsporins but MIC data (which may fall in the susceptible range) may still be forwarded to TSN.
TSN requires this disclaimer on all reports: Data in TSNŽ Database are to be used for epidemiological purposes only and should not be used as a basis for therapy of individual patients. Focus Technologies, Inc. must review reports before publishing or public presentation