What is the purpose of antimicrobial susceptibility testing?

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing is essential for determining the effectiveness of antibiotics against specific bacteria. This process helps healthcare providers select the most appropriate antibiotic treatment for infections, ensuring that the chosen drug will likely inhibit or kill the bacteria responsible for the infection. By evaluating various antimicrobial agents against the isolated bacteria, clinicians can identify which antibiotics are most effective and thus tailor therapy to improve outcomes for patients.

Understanding susceptibility is crucial because various bacterial strains can exhibit resistance to antibiotics, making some treatments ineffective. This testing ultimately guides the optimal therapeutic approach, reduces the risk of treatment failure, and can contribute to more effective patient management.

In contrast, identifying the source of an infection relates to diagnosis, while preventing the spread of viral infections involves different strategies not targeted by antibiotic treatments. Measuring bacteria levels in a patient serves different purposes, such as assessing the severity of an infection or monitoring treatment efficacy, but it does not provide direct information about antibiotic susceptibility.