scope:

This document provides guidance for preexamination, examination, and postexamination procedures associated with the culture of anaerobic bacteria. Because anaerobic bacteria are part of human normal flora and are sensitive to oxygen exposure, good preexamination methods are essential. These recommendations include methods for collecting proper specimens from appropriate clinical sites and for transport procedures that protect anaerobes from oxygen exposure so that all pathogens involved in infections can be detected. The optimal methods needed to provide accurate, timely, and sufficient information for appropriate medical decisions are included, along with a discussion of the use and value of partial and full isolate IDs. Also included in this guideline are recommendations for interpreting results, assistance in understanding the value of rapid preliminary results, and guidance on issues of QC, QA, and competency.

The intended audience includes medical technologists, infectious disease physicians, microbiology laboratory directors, pathologists, and researchers.

Because anaerobe antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) methods are presented in CLSI documents M111 and M100,2 this document limits its discussion to the need and indications for AST.