Antimicrobials

Details

Title

Antimicrobials

Type

Stage Two

Module code

HLS229

Requirement

Compulsory

Module objective

By the end of the training period trainees will, in respect of antimicrobials, be able to:

• analyse, synthesise, evaluate and apply knowledge
• perform, adapt and master a range of technical and clinical skills and procedures and
• demonstrate the attitudes and behaviours necessary for professional practice as a consultant clinical scientist dealing with the complexities, uncertainties and tensions of professional practice  at this level.

Knowledge and understanding

By the end of the training period the trainee will be able to demonstrate the ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesise relevant knowledge and its application to their professional practice in relation to the:

• range of therapies available for the treatment infectious diseases and the clinical indications for use of different antimicrobial agents
• importance and range of adverse effects including allergic reactions and to know that it is vital always to ask about possible allergies and the nature of the allergy
• importance and range of side effects and that these might affect patient compliance
• pharmacokinetics and mechanism of action of antimicrobial agents( including ones not yet in general use) and mechanisms for development of resistance to these agents
• basic principles of prophylaxis, with antimicrobials, vaccines and immune globulins
• necessity of monitoring levels of certain antimicrobials –both for efficacy and patient safety reasons
• importance of knowing possible interactions between antimicrobial agents and other therapeutic agents therapeutic use of immune globulins.

Technical and clinical skills

By the end of the training period the trainee will be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of current relevant research, theory and knowledge and its application to the performance, adaptation and mastery of the following technical procedures and laboratory skills for:

• conventional methods of susceptibility testing including disc, broth dilution, e-test
• automated/semi-automated susceptibility testing
• nucleic acid techniques, including gene sequencing
• reference laboratory referral where appropriate
• antimicrobial monitoring assays
• assessing host factors affecting antimicrobial response
• identifying and investigating antimicrobial resistence.

Additionally they will gain further experience on systems for ensuring the quality assurance of test procedures and reagents, including:

• use of appropriate internal controls and monitoring assay performance
• internal quality assurance
• external quality assurance
• validity and reliability of test results and their application
• understanding of uncertainty of measurement
• use of systems to produce timely, accurate and relevant laboratory reports with appropriate interpretative comments.

By the end of the training period the trainee will be able to apply knowledge of antimicrobials to perform, adapt and master the clinical skills necessary to advise for the management of infected patients.