Table 1.

Standard operating procedures (SOP) that were developed and implemented as part of the initial laboratory strengthening intervention.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing using Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method*

Blood bacterial culture

Cerebrospinal fluid bacterial culture*

Sterile body fluid bacterial culture

Pus—superficial specimens—bacterial culture

Pus—deep specimens—bacterial culture

Urine bacterial culture

Sputum and lower respiratory specimen bacterial culture

Vaginal bacterial culture

Gram stain

Identification of Gram-negative bacilli

Identification of Gram-positive cocci

Identification of Gram-positive bacilli

Recognizing dangerous pathogens at the work bench

This table does not list SOP dealing with quality control.

^*These documents are provided in the Supplemental Appendix for illustrative purposes.