Disk diffusion susceptibility tests: need for laboratory-specific breakpoints.

Significant changes were observed in the measured resistance levels of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus when the Biodisk(R) disk susceptibility test method used in 1992 was replaced with another commercial method, Oxoid(R). For example, when non-species-specific breakpoints were used, the frequency of cephatotin-resistant E. coli was 12% of all isolates in 1992 but only 4% in 1993; the corresponding figures for the intermediately resistant isolates were 84% and 8%. The population distribution histograms were however, practically unchanged. Thus, the resistance percentages apparently did not reflect the real development of resistance. Similar findings were also made for several other antimicrobials. Susceptibility test breakpoints should therefore be examined separately for all bacterial species in each laboratory, and the application of adjusted laboratory-specific breakpoints should be considered. For this purpose, the WHONET computer program provides excellent assistance.