The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) will co-host the 12th annual educational update webinars for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST).

Each January, CLSI updates standards for AST. It is important for clinical laboratories to incorporate the new recommendations into routine practice to optimize detection and reporting of antimicrobial resistance. In January 2015, the annual update of the M100 AST tables (CLSI document M100-S25) was published. In addition, the standards that describe performance of disk diffusion and minimal inhibitory concentration tests in versions M02-A12 and M07-A10, respectively, were updated. Some highlights for 2015 include introduction of the Carba NP test for carbapenemases and expanded recommendations for quality control testing.

These changes and several other new recommendations found in M100-S25, M02-A12, and M07-A10 will be discussed during the webinar. In addition to the webinar, an optional postprogram self-assessment will be provided that will allow individuals to assess their knowledge regarding the most important AST and reporting issues for 2015. Laboratories can use this feature to augment competency assessment requirements for their staff.

The webinar will be led by Janet A. Hindler, MCLS, MT(ASCP), Senior Specialist, Clinical Microbiology, at the UCLA Health System in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Webinar information is as follows:

CLSI 2015 AST Update

February 4, 2015 • 1:00–2:30 PM Eastern (US) Time

February 5, 2015 • 3:00–4:30 PM Eastern (US) Time (repeat session)

Learner Level: This intermediate-level program is appropriate for laboratory professionals working in clinical and academic settings.

At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to: Identify the major changes found in the new CLSI document M100-S25. Design a strategy for implementing the new practice guidelines into their laboratory practices. Develop a communication strategy for informing clinical staff of significant AST and reporting changes.

Register for the upcoming webinars at www.aphl.org/clsi.