Medical microbiology

Duration

16h Th, 6h Pr

Number of credits

Lecturer

Marie-Pierre Hayette

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the second semester

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

This course follows MICR0120 - General Microbiology and builds on the fundamental knowledge acquired in that course to introduce clinical microbiology and the management of infectious diseases.

The course begins with an introduction to the clinical microbiology laboratory. This section presents the role of the laboratory in the management of infectious diseases, the appropriate use of microbiological tests, pre-analytical requirements for clinical specimens, and the role of commensal flora in health and disease.

The course is then organised according to a syndromic approach, focusing on the main clinical presentations of infectious diseases. For each infectious syndrome, the following topics are covered:

• epidemiology;
• main causative agents;
• microbiological characteristics and virulence factors of pathogens;
• pathogenesis;
• clinical manifestations;
• microbiological diagnostic methods;
• modes of acquisition and transmission;
• possible complications;
• principles of antimicrobial treatment;
• preventive measures, including vaccination recommendations when appropriate.
  
  

• Introduction to the clinical microbiology laboratory
• Commensal flora
• Urinary tract infections
• Upper respiratory tract infections (ENT)
• Lower respiratory tract infections, including tuberculosis
• Gastrointestinal tract infections
• Sexually transmitted infections
• Fungal infections

• observe under the microscope the main microorganisms responsible for infectious diseases;
• become familiar with techniques for the isolation, identification and rapid detection of microorganisms;
• understand the importance of the pre-analytical and post-analytical phases of microbiological testing;
• understand the issue of contamination;
• understand the performance of microbiological tests, including the concepts of sensitivity, specificity and predictive values;
• interpret microbiological results in their clinical context through practical cases.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

At the end of the course and practical sessions, students will be able to:

• explain the contribution of microbiological testing to the diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and prevention of infectious diseases;
• explain the pre-analytical requirements for microbiological testing, including the choice of specimen, timing and technique of collection, storage conditions and transport;
• explain the principles, indications and limitations of the different microbiological diagnostic methods;
• apply knowledge acquired in general microbiology to understand the pathogenesis of the main human infections;
• identify the main causative agents of infections according to the clinical context and the anatomical site involved;
• describe the microbiological characteristics, virulence factors, pathophysiological mechanisms, diagnostic methods, treatments and preventive measures related to the main pathogens encountered in clinical practice;
• explain host defence mechanisms and their interactions with infectious agents;
• select appropriate microbiological tests according to the clinical context and the suspected pathogen;
• justify an appropriate antimicrobial treatment strategy and plan patient follow-up, taking into account factors such as age, risk factors and current recommendations;
• explain vaccination recommendations according to individual and community risks;
• identify the risks associated with the main infectious diseases and propose appropriate preventive measures;
• describe the modes of acquisition and transmission of the main infectious diseases;
• explain strategies for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections and the health promotion resources available to young people;
• explain the microbiological tests required for the diagnosis of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis;
• explain the principles of treatment and follow-up of patients with tuberculosis.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

MICR0120 (Bachelor 2) - General Microbiology

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

This course, intended for medical students, focuses on clinical microbiology and the management of infectious diseases.

The lectures cover the main infectious syndromes, the microbial agents involved, diagnostic strategies, treatments and preventive measures. Particular attention is given to the appropriate use of the clinical microbiology laboratory, the quality of clinical specimens and the interpretation of microbiological results in their clinical context.

The practical sessions illustrate the theoretical concepts through situations encountered in a hospital clinical microbiology laboratory. They allow students to become familiar with the main diagnostic techniques and to integrate microbiological results into clinical reasoning.

The course is taught in person and is complemented by podcasts with commentary and audiovisual resources produced by the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory of the University Hospital of Liège (CHU de Liège).

Practical Sessions

Three practical sessions are organised.

Before the first session, students are invited to watch the introductory video available at the following link:

https://vimeo.com/67284183?fl=pl&fe=sh

Attendance at the practical sessions is mandatory.

Knowledge acquired during the practical sessions is assessed through multiple-choice questions included in the written examination. Students are also required to submit a practical report, which contributes to the final grade.

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

Blended learning


Further information:

In-person classes, podcasts, and mandatory practical sessions.

Course materials and recommended or required readings

Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus


Further information:

Les diaporamas des cours, les notes de travaux pratiques, les podcasts commentés ainsi qu'un syllabus sont mis à la disposition des étudiants sur E-Campus.

Ouvrages de référence

• Microbiology: A Clinical Approach (Garland Science)
• Mims' Medical Microbiology (Elsevier)
• Fungal Infections (M. Richardson, éd.)

• Microbes-edu : https://www.microbes-edu.org/
• Sciensano : https://www.sciensano.be
• ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control) : https://www.ecdc.europa.eu
• CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) : https://www.cdc.gov
• Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS) : https://www.who.int/fr
  
  

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire )


Further information:

Examinations

All examination sessions

In-person examination

Written multiple-choice examination (MCQ)

Additional information

The assessment is organised in person and consists exclusively of multiple-choice questions (MCQs), scored using the For Guessing correction method.

The examination covers all theoretical content as well as the practical sessions.

As part of the integrated examinations within the medical curriculum, knowledge acquired in this course unit may also be assessed.

Absences

• an unjustified absence from a practical session results in a score of zero for the practical report, corresponding to a penalty of 10% of the final grade;
  
  
• an absence justified by a medical certificate does not result in any penalty but does not exempt the student from the final examination. Depending on the circumstances, the practical report may be waived or adapted;
  
  
• failure to submit a practical report is considered equivalent to an unjustified absence.
  
  

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

Attendance at the practical sessions is mandatory.

Students are required to wear a laboratory coat to attend the sessions.

Changes between groups are only allowed in exceptional circumstances and are subject to availability.


 

Contacts

Academic Coordinator of the Course Unit

Prof. Marie-Pierre Hayette
Clinical Microbiology Department - CHU de Liège
Email: mphayette@uliege.be

Contributors

Dr Pablo Beckers
Email: Pablo.Beckers@chuliege.be

Rosalie Sacheli, PhD
Email: R.Sacheli@chuliege.be

Coordinator of Practical Sessions

Mr Khalid El Moussaoui, University Assistant
Clinical Microbiology Department - CHU de Liège
Email: kelmoussaoui@chuliege.be

Clinical Microbiology Department - Secretariat

CHU de Liège
Tower 6 - Route 656
4000 Liège - Belgium

Stéphanie Wauquier
Tel.: +32 (0)4 323 22 90
Email: stephanie.wauquier@chuliege.be

Association of one or more MOOCs

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