Clinical Usefulness of Multi-facility Microbiology Laboratory Database Analysis by WHONET

Abstract

Clinically important issues might be addressed more comprehensively by analyzing microbiological data assembled from several institutions instead of from a single one. Microbiology laboratory databases collected from six collaborative hospitals (A–F) between 2003 and 2013 were converted into WHONET files and analyzed. Three important areas of investigation are presented in this article including early warning of the emergence of resistant bacteria, evaluation of a new susceptibility testing method, and establishment of strategies for identifying patients harboring resistant organisms. Combined databases from microbiology laboratories of a collaborative hospital network might help in developing integrated responses to prevent infection, decrease transmission, and ensure that appropriate antibiotics are selected for patients with infectious diseases.