-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 134
LIMS Microbiology Overview
The LIMS supports a dedicated microbiology reporting workflow that is separate from general biochemistry and haematology. Microbiology reports handle culture and sensitivity results, where the lab identifies the organism(s) isolated from a patient's sample and then tests those organisms against a panel of antibiotics. This article explains what makes microbiology different and when to use the microbiology report type.
| Feature | General / Biochemistry report | Microbiology report |
|---|---|---|
| Result type | Numeric values (e.g., 5.2 mmol/L) | Text identification + sensitivity categories |
| Antibiotic testing | Not applicable | SENSITIVE / RESISTANT / INTERMEDIATE per antibiotic |
| Multiple organisms | Not applicable | Multiple organisms can be reported independently from the same sample |
| Result grouping | All parameters in one list | Results grouped by organism — each organism has its own antibiotic panel |
| Report layout | Tabular with reference ranges | Organism identification + sensitivity table |
When an investigation is configured with the Microbiology report type by the lab administrator, the result entry screen automatically displays the microbiology-specific layout instead of the standard tabular form. You do not need to switch between modes — the correct layout is determined by the investigation's configuration.
Investigations using the microbiology layout include (but are not limited to):
- Urine Culture & Sensitivity (C&S)
- Blood Culture
- Sputum Culture
- Wound Swab C&S
- High Vaginal Swab (HVS) C&S
- Stool Culture
Sample accepted at the lab
↓
Open the report for data entry (Menu > Lab > Report Management)
↓
Enter preliminary culture findings (growth / no growth, incubation observations)
↓
Identify organism(s) isolated
↓
Add antibiotic sensitivity results for each organism
↓
If multiple organisms isolated → add a new group for each organism
↓
Approve the report
↓
Print and/or send to patient
The organism identification section is a free-text (memo) field where the microbiologist enters the identity of the isolated organism — for example, Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus. Other preliminary findings such as colony morphology, Gram stain result, and preliminary identification can also be recorded here.
For each isolated organism, a panel of antibiotics is tested and the result recorded as:
- SENSITIVE — the organism is susceptible to this antibiotic at therapeutic concentrations.
- RESISTANT — the organism is not inhibited by this antibiotic.
- Intermediate — the organism shows intermediate susceptibility; may respond to higher doses or site-specific concentrations.
When more than one organism is isolated from the same sample, each organism gets its own group in the report. Within each group:
- The organism is identified in the memo field.
- A complete antibiotic panel is listed and results entered independently.
This means the clinician can see exactly which antibiotics are effective against each specific organism in a polymicrobial infection.
- Entering Culture Results — step-by-step for data entry
- Antibiotic Sensitivity Testing — how to add organisms and enter sensitivity results
- Microbiology Report Approval & Printing — approval and printed report layout
- Antibiotic Master Data — administrator guide for maintaining the antibiotic list