Laboratory Testing for Microbial Detection

The approach to microbial detection in patients who present to acute settings should be focused and should aim to result in clinically significant findings while minimizing the chances of a missed diagnosis or missed complications related to a patient’s existing disease burden. Judicious selection of laboratory tests, efficient sample collection, and laboratory reporting are all important considerations. This chapter provides general guidelines for the initial evaluation of potential microbial infections in patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED). In some cases, the diagnosis will remain uncertain during the patient’s stay, but diagnostic testing initiated in the ED may be beneficial for the inpatient or outpatient team and the future care of the patient.