The role of clinical laboratories in susceptibility testing and AMR surveillance

The clinical microbiology laboratory is responsible for performing antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), which generates the data necessary to appropriately treat infections. Although the primary purpose of the clinical microbiology laboratory is providing data to inform patient care, it is also a rich source of AST data. These data can be utilized not only for monitoring AMR trends but also for informing public health initiatives. ^{Reference Wenzler, Maximos, Asempa, Biehle, Schuetz and Hirsch8,9} The level of participation a clinical laboratory has in active or passive AMR surveillance will vary depending on local policies and procedures, laboratory capacity, the need for data to answer a particular public health question, and the level of collaboration with public health and national laboratories or other national surveillance programs. ⁹ However, even in high-income countries, coalescing and sharing microbiology data is heavily dependent on infrastructure and resources. ^{Reference Rattanaumpawan, Boonyasiri, Vong and Thamlikitkul10} To date, comprehensive information on how clinical laboratories aggregate their AST data and participate in public health surveillance is absent, highlighting a knowledge gap in fully understanding the AMR surveillance landscape.

A primary challenge in understanding AST data collection and sharing from the clinical laboratory is variability in practice. Various methodologies are used to perform AST including manual methods (eg, disk diffusion, gradient diffusion, agar dilution, and broth microdilution), automated methods, and genotypic detection of resistance mechanisms. ^{Reference Wenzler, Maximos, Asempa, Biehle, Schuetz and Hirsch8,Reference Humphries11} In addition to the variation and error that may occur between methods, ^{Reference Köck, Schuler, Idelevich and Schaumburg12} there is significant variability in how laboratories process and perform bacterial culture, as well as how the workup (including AST) is performed. ^{Reference Prinzi, Parker, Curtis and Ziniel13} These challenges are further exacerbated by variability in the use of AST interpretative criteria, also known as breakpoints. ^{Reference Simner, Rauch and Martin14}

Susceptibility testing yields minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) (obtained via broth microdilution or gradient diffusion) or zones of inhibition (from disk diffusion testing). Breakpoints, based on MIC distribution and clinical data, categorize AST data into categories that correlate with clinical outcomes. ^{Reference Humphries, Abbott and Hindler15} This categorization is vital for patient care, AMR surveillance, and policy development. The United States uses 3 primary standard development organizations (SDOs): Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the European Committee for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST). Notably, although it is not currently an SDO, the US Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (USCAST) is a EUCAST-affiliated committee that also establishes testing and interpretation standards. In the United States, clinical laboratories can choose to use breakpoints from the SDO of their choice, and the reasons for different breakpoint applications are complex. ^{Reference Patel, Alby, Humphries, Weinstein, Lutgring, Naccache and Simner16} Furthermore, the use of outdated criteria may affect the interpretation of AMR epidemiology. ^{Reference Simner, Rauch and Martin14} Recent regulations by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), a major laboratory accrediting body in the United States, mandate the use of updated breakpoints for all AST methods within 3 years of the breakpoint publication date. Although this action is crucial for ensuring that AST interpretation is accurate, performing these updates is a complex process that regulatory hurdles, manufacturing capabilities, and limited laboratory staffing may affect. Given these challenges, variability in the use of updated breakpoints persists.

Susceptibility test data may be collected, stored, and summarized in a laboratory information system (LIS), electronic health record system (EHR), data analytics software, or a combination of these. The lack of standardized formats and interoperability poses challenges. ^{Reference O’Brien, Clark, Peters and Stelling17} Some AMR surveillance programs have specific data submission requirements, creating potential barriers. ¹⁸ The process for aligning with data requirements can be complex and may involve additional validation steps for the laboratory, which may limit participation given existing staffing and capacity challenges. The World Health Organization (WHO)’s WHONET, available in 44 languages, serves as a model for overcoming these barriers by offering free software with modules for laboratory functions, data analysis, reporting, and data encryption. The WHONET software also standardizes data from laboratory instruments and LIS, facilitating global AMR surveillance in 130 countries. ¹⁹

The era of advanced diagnostic microbiology testing has ushered in novel mechanisms for collecting and sharing AST data. For example, some medical device companies have enabled cloud database functionality with their devices, such as multiplex polymerase chain reaction testing platforms that test for various infections. ^{Reference Timbrook, Olin, Spaulding, Galvin and Cox20} These data can be accessed from the cloud if laboratories are willing to share their de-identified test data. This capability allows for the harnessing of near real-time surveillance data which can aid in tracking spatiotemporal trends in resistance. This introduction of advanced diagnostics and informatics has also expanded antibiogram capabilities. Although routine cumulative antibiograms are used to guide clinicians in the selection of empiric therapy, multi-facility antibiograms can be used to understand AMR at a health system or regional level. ^{Reference Simner, Hindler and Bhowmick21} In many settings, the creation of a routine cumulative antibiogram is mandated, and this may provide ample site-specific data that can be aggregated for public health use. It is important to note that antibiograms may be compiled using data derived from various sources (eg, AST instrument, EHR, and LIS). Due to this, the data quality should be scrutinized prior to use in the antibiogram. Finally, the roles of clinical and public health laboratories differ significantly. Effective communication both within and among these laboratories is crucial for efficient data sharing. Clinical laboratories participating in this effort must establish algorithms to alert staff when unusual resistance patterns are detected, along with clear guidelines on the subsequent steps to be taken. This may involve in-house confirmatory resistance mechanism testing, subculturing and sending isolates to the local public health laboratory for additional testing, sending raw AST data to the public health department to support AMR surveillance efforts, or a combination of these actions. ²² Understanding these complexities is essential in standardizing clinical laboratory data for representative analysis and surveillance.

AMR surveillance at local and regional public health levels

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory Network (ARLN) facilitates data and testing transfer between clinical and public health laboratories nationwide. The ARLN, spanning labs in all 50 states, bridges the gap in local laboratory capabilities for effective AMR surveillance and prevention. ²² Clinical laboratories develop protocols to identify unusual resistance in routinely tested organisms, coordinating with public health labs on subsequent isolate and specimen testing. At the public health laboratory level, test methods include phenotypic AST, genotypic resistance gene detection, or phenotypic confirmation of specific resistance mechanisms. Results from confirmatory testing are communicated back to the clinical laboratory for patient management. Isolates with unusual resistance patterns undergo additional testing at regional public health laboratories, which also support CDC-funded AMR surveillance programs. Regional labs conduct testing, including whole genome sequencing (WGS), for initiatives like the Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP) and the National Tuberculosis center program. They are also responsible for multidrug-resistant organism screening from healthcare facility specimens.

Examples in action: Wisconsin Clinical Laboratory Network (WCLN) and the California Reportable Disease Information Exchange (CalREDIE)

Exemplary collaborations in the United States for AMR surveillance include the WCLN formed in 2001, involving 138 laboratories. ^{Reference Bateman, Bowles and Munson23} The success of the program is strongly rooted in 2-way communication, training, and education. In 2014, the network aimed to create a statewide antibiogram by compiling data from 72 WCLN facilities. Ultimately, the analysis involved more than 150,000 organism–antimicrobial combinations. ^{Reference Munson, Block and Bowles24} Through this process, WCLN identified limitations in local testing practices and data standardization, leading to the creation of the Surveillance of Wisconsin Organisms for Trends in Antimicrobial Resistance and Epidemiology (SWOTARE) program. Through this structure, laboratories in each WCLN region send clinically important organisms to a centralized testing facility which uses reference broth microdilution AST to compare resistance profiles by location and time. ^{Reference Bateman, Bowles and Munson23,Reference Munson, Hueppchen and Zeman25}

CalREDIE, implemented by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), started as a pilot in 2010. ²⁶ During the successful pilot period, CDPH and participating jurisdictions had access to real-time laboratory reporting. Since the completion of the pilot, all local public health departments in California have begun participating in the program in some capacity, and CDPH continues the iterative process of adding modules and making improvements to the system based on surveillance needs. ²⁶ CalREDIE’s success lies in a centralized database and modules supporting data sharing from providers and clinical laboratories. The electronic laboratory reporting module allows secure transmission of standardized results, replacing manual entry and supporting Health Level 7 compliance. ^{Reference Noumeir27} A 2023 publication demonstrates the program’s effectiveness in characterizing Gonococcal infection trends in California between 2020 and 2021, influencing programmatic interventions and clinical recommendations. ^{Reference Tang, Johnson and Alvarado28}

AMR surveillance at the national level

CDC NARMS

The National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) is an interagency surveillance system maintained by the CDC, FDA, and US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Its focus lies on foodborne and other enteric bacteria in humans, retail meats, and food animals. NARMS receives clinical specimens (and isolates, depending on the pathogen) from public health laboratories. These data are available to the public via reports that provide visual access to AST results and trends (Table 1).

Table 1.

AMR surveillance program characteristics, United States

Note. AMR, antimicrobial resistance; AST, antimicrobial susceptibility testing; ATLAS, Antimicrobial Testing Leadership and Surveillance; CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; CDC ARLN, CDC Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory Network; CDC EIP, CDC Emerging Infections Program; CLSI, Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute; EUCAST, European Committee for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing; GISP, Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project; GLASS, Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System; HL7, Health Level 7; IHMA, International Health Management Associates; MIC, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration; NARMS, National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System; NCC, National Coordinating Center; NHSN, National Healthcare Safety Network; NTSS, National Tuberculosis Surveillance System; OTIS, Online Tuberculosis Information System; PPE BSL-3, Personal Protective Equipment Biosafety Level 3; TB, tuberculosis; US FDA, US Food and Drug Administration; WGS, whole genome sequencing; WHO, World Health Organization.

Global AMR surveillance programs with US participation