Training activity information
Details
Respond to clinical queries/ significant results related to the diagnosis and management of patients with suspected multi-resistant infections.
To include selection and interpretation of relevant tests and drafting of advice.
Type
Developmental training activity (DTA)
Evidence requirements
Evidence the activity has been undertaken by the trainee.
Reflection on the activity at one or more time points after the event including learning from the activity and/or areas of the trainees practice for development.
An action plan to implement learning and/or to address skills or knowledge gaps identified.
Reflective practice guidance
The guidance below is provided to support reflection at different time points, providing you with questions to aid you to reflect for this training activity. They are provided for guidance and should not be considered as a mandatory checklist. Trainees should not be expected to provide answers to each of the guidance questions listed.
Before action
- What specific local or national guidelines on multi-resistant organisms should you review beforehand?
- What specific insights into the challenges of diagnosing and managing multi-resistant infections do you hope to gain by responding to clinical queries?
- What is your current understanding of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and the interpretation of susceptibility testing?
- What areas do you want to improve?
- Discuss with your training officer the types of queries related to suspected multi-resistant infections you might encounter and any specific protocols to follow. Consider the complexities of advising on antibiotic management in these cases.
- How will you prepare to provide appropriate and evidence-based advice?
- Reflect on your understanding of infection control measures related to multi-resistant organisms and plan to refresh your knowledge if needed.
In action
- Describe your initial approach to responding to a clinical query/significant result involving a suspected multi-resistant infection.
- What factors are guiding your actions?
- What immediate decisions are you making regarding the interpretation of resistance profiles and the implications for management?
- What aspects of dealing with multi-resistant infections feel intuitive, and where do you need to be particularly careful and considered?
- How effective are your current steps in understanding the complexities of this multi-resistant infection case and formulating appropriate advice?
- What specific difficulties are you encountering in interpreting the data or considering management options for this infection?
- What immediate insights are you gaining into the challenges of managing multi-resistant infections?
- How does this activity connect to your knowledge of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and surveillance?
- Are you considering alternative antimicrobial options or infection control measures based on the available information?
- What immediate support or consultation might be necessary if you were unsure about the best course of action?
- Are you ensuring that your response and any potential advice align with your scope of practice and relevant guidelines for multi-resistant organisms?
On action
- What was the clinical scenario involving a suspected multi-resistant infection (e.g., MRSA, VRE, ESBL-producing Enterobacterales, carbapenemase-producing organisms)?
- What previous microbiology results or patient history indicated the potential for resistance?
- What specific antibiotics were involved in the resistance profile?
- How did you approach the selection and interpretation of tests in this context?
- Did you improve your understanding of the mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance?
- Did you enhance your ability to interpret complex resistance profiles from laboratory reports?
- Did you gain insights into the challenges of managing multi-resistant infections and the importance of antimicrobial stewardship?
- Were there any difficulties in providing advice due to limited treatment options? What did you learn from this?
- How did this activity highlight the role of the microbiology lab in detecting and reporting multi-resistant organisms and advising on infection control measures?
- What specific types of multi-resistant organisms or resistance mechanisms do you need to learn more about?
- How will you ensure that your advice on managing these infections aligns with local and national guidelines?
- What resources (e.g., antibiograms, expert advice) will you utilise in such cases?
- Would shadowing a senior microbiologist dealing with complex multi-resistant infection cases be beneficial?
Beyond action
- Reflecting on your experience with multi-resistant infection queries, have subsequent encounters or new guidelines influenced your approach to these complex cases?
- How does this experience inform your understanding of antimicrobial resistance?
- How has this DTA on multi-resistant infections shaped your current practice in selecting tests and advising on management in such situations?
- Have you become more aware of infection control implications and communication with the infection control team?
- How will your experiences with multi-resistant infection queries contribute to your future role, particularly in light of the increasing threat of antimicrobial resistance?
- What further learning or engagement in this area do you plan?
Relevant learning outcomes
| # | Outcome |
|---|---|
| # 1 |
Outcome
Identify appropriate investigative strategies to diagnose and manage infections linked to syndromic presentations considering guidance and public health requirements |
| # 2 |
Outcome
Select tests to diagnose and manage infections and interpret the results in the clinical context for patients with syndromic presentations, with consideration of laboratory quality assurance and quality control |
| # 3 |
Outcome
Develop plans and provide advice on infection management for patients with syndromic presentations, considering infection control, guidelines and public health requirements |