Clinical microbiology

Duration

15h Th, 10h Pr

Number of credits

Lecturer

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

These supplements in clinical microbiology aim to prepare the student to his future profession in the context of clinical microbiology.
Contents

• Introduction
• Tasks and expected missions of the clinical microbiology labs
• Pre-analytical issues
• Microbiological methods
• Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (methods, system of reference for interpretation, expertised interpretation)
• Automation in microbiology
• MALDI-TOF Mass spectrometry
• Methods in molecular biology and indications (diagnostics, follow-up, epidemiology), perpectives of development
• Internal quality control in microbiology
• Verification and validation of microbiological methods, equipments
• Aims and criteria for screening, diagnostic and confirmation tests
• Rules of Biosecurity
• As a model from emergence to prevention strategies : the group B streptococcal infections in newborns.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

At the end of this course, students will be able to

• describe tasks and expected missions of the clinical microbiology labs
• determine what is a useful clinical result.
• explain the expected benefit of microbiological analysis in the clinical management of a patient or for setting public health precautions.
• encourage dynamic communication with clinicians
• argue the importance to reducing TAT whenever it is possible
• argue about and justify preanalytical conditions specific to microbiological analysis.
• summarize and explain the main analytical methods used in clinical microbiology
• limits of microbiological  diagnostic analysis.
• sustain a discussion about the different antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods (methods, system of reference for interpretation, expertised interpretation)
• summarize the evolution and aims of automation in microbiology
• set a plan of internal quality control in microbiology.
• present aims and criteria for screening, diagnostic and confirmation tests
• make recommendations about biosecurity
• explain and argue about group B streptococcal screening methods implemented accordind to prevention strategies

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The course is taught as lectures, supported by PowerPoint-type slides. Students are invited to ask their questions during lectures, after or by email.
An extended 2 or 3-days visit in a clinical microbiology lab illustrates the contents of the course. This extended visit is compulsory.

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Face-to-face
Slide sets of all lectures are available online on the university website through "myULg".
A 2 or 3 days-visit is organized in the clinical microbiology laboratory of the University hospital of Liege
 

Organisational adjustments related to the current health context

Recommended or required readings

Required to prepare exams: Slide sets of all lectures available online on the university website through "myULg".
A non exhaustive list of text-books can also be useful but they are not necessary.

• Bactériologie médicale - Techniques usuelles 2ème édition François DENIS, Marie-Cécile Ploy, Christian Martin, Edouard Bingen, Roland QUENTIN Editeur: Elsevier Masson. 11/2011 ISBN: 9782294096686
• Numerous references are available for reading /downloading on the website of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM):
  http://clinmicro.asm.org/index.php/bench-work-resources
• The  Cumitech series provides consensus recommendations regarding the judicious use of clinical microbiology and immunology laboratories and their role in patient care. Each Cumitech is written by a team of clinicians, laboratorians, and other interested stakeholders to provide a broad overview of various aspects of infectious disease testing. These aspects include a discussion of relevant clinical considerations; collection, transport, processing and interpretive guidelines; the clinical utility of culture-based and non-culture-based methods and emerging technologies; They are edited and published by the ASM.

Assessment methods and criteria

Below you will find information on the evaluation methods planned for in-person and remote exams as well as those planned for hybrid sessions. Depending on how the health crisis evolves, the chosen method will be communicated to you no later than one month before the start of the exam session.

Oral exam with written preparation.

Work placement(s)

Internship opportunity during last year of master (final thesis)

Organizational remarks

Contacts

Clinical microbiology department University hospital of Liège,  B-23 Sart Tilman,  4000 LIEGE Belgium
Secretary
For any contact or to fix an appointment, please contact the secretary Mrs MC Lhote

• Phone : 00.32.4.366.24.39
• Telecopy: 00.32.4.366.24.40
• email : micromed@uliege.be

• Pierrette.Melin@uliege.be