wheat beer
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Topics: 75
Posts: 105
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the online lecture covers only medical associated bacteria, fungi, virus, and that's all, although there are still a lot of general microbiology chapters not covered in lecture but be involved in notes.
I think these not-covered general background materials are as important as those covered in the lecture, do you guys think so? OR, the step 1 just check our knowledge on each individual pathogen but leave the general microbiology knowledge as background and not test it directly?
thanks and good luck guys
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| dr_singh246
internal medicine pgy2
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Posts: 561
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i too have similiar concerns about kaplan microbiology. i too think kaplan is inadequate in this subject
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to love when it can be lost, to go on when progress seem futile and to believe in every fiber of your body. to live , have hope and faith and to never give in.... dr_singh246@yahoo.com
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| bactitech
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I am not familiar with Kaplan. However, from the questions I've seen posted (from the text, I assume) is that it's a teensy bit outdated. Many of the tests cited are old-fashioned and no longer used.
You will get a quick update :-) when you go on the floors and start ordering tests on patients. I've tried to keep you guys updated with "the latest" when the subjects come up. I realize that your tests may take a lot of questions from Kaplan, but I also want you to be aware that the world of micro in 2004-5 differs somewhat from the world you're reading about.
Micro is a very complicated subject. I posted that online micro text (I just found that source recently) and that seems current. The "bible" we use in the lab (obviously more technical and not as disease oriented) is the ASM Manual (whatever the latest edition is) and Bailey and Scott, 11th edition.
You guys are looking at micro from a different angle than a tech identifying bacteria. I don't know how much you need to know about the actual identification process.
What you need to know is: it is NOT instantaneous. Most labs don't offer PCR and other fancy testing. Many times you can get this but it's a sendout and you'll wait a week for results. Many hospitals don't have their own micro labs any more and send EVERYTHING out. I work in a micro lab that does all the micro work for four hospitals.
Knowing the proper collection procedure is CRITICAL in getting meaningful results. Regardless of how many people are rushing you - if you DON'T know how to collect it (what to put it in, how to order it, etc.) CALL microbiology first. You'll be glad you did. You'll save your patient a possibly meaningless report.
Remember: aspirates and tissues are ALWAYS preferable to swabs. If you're just scrubbing the surface with a swab, you'll get a lot of skin flora and hangers-on (smattering of gram negs, diphtheroids, meaningless junk). I know you can't always get aspirates or tissues, but, bottom line, they are the best. One hospital started a campaign to change doctor's attitudes about swabs. We are seriously considering this at our place. They hung posters giving current specimen collection information in the bathrooms (read that stalls) in the doc's bathrooms in surgery. Apparently this worked and they started getting better specimens :-).
If you're in surgery, ASPIRATE or CUT. We can process small amounts of tissue for cultures. If you aspirate fluids, leave them in the syringe but TAKE OFF THE NEEDLE!!!!! We cannot accept the syringes with needles. You can also shoot the fluid into a sterile tube or small cup.
Hope this all helps you out in the future :-).
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Clinical Microbiology since 1974
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| dr_singh246
internal medicine pgy2
Topics: 235
Posts: 561
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thats quite a useful information about in patient care and role of microbiology. thanks for ur reply.
___________________
to love when it can be lost, to go on when progress seem futile and to believe in every fiber of your body. to live , have hope and faith and to never give in.... dr_singh246@yahoo.com
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