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Taking into account previous recommendations from the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS), the Antimicrobial Committee, Sociedad Argentina de Bacteriología Clínica (SADEBAC), Asociación Argentina de Microbiología (AAM), and the experience from its members and some invited microbiologists, a consensus was obtained for antimicrobial susceptibility testing and interpretation in most frequent enterobacterial species isolated from clinical samples in our region. This document describes the natural antimicrobial resistance of some Enterobacteriaceae family members, including the resistance profiles due to their own chromosomal encoded beta-lactamases. A list of the antimicrobial agents that should be tested, their position on the agar plates, in order to detect the most frequent antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, and considerations on which antimicrobial agents should be reported regarding to the infection site and patient characteristics are included. Also, a description on appropriate phenotypic screening and confirmatory test for detection of prevalent extended spectrum beta-lactamases in our region are presented. Finally, a summary on frequent antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and their probably associated resistance mechanisms, and some infrequent antimicrobial resistance profiles that deserve confirmation are outlined.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing is mainly performed in Argentina by disk diffusion method, following National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) recommendations. We worked out new recommendations for the reporting and interpretation of this test when dealing with gram-positive cocci, in accordance to local trends and epidemiology. General considerations for performing the diffusion assay, quality control, and an update on susceptibility testing for gram-positive cocci are reported in this first document. The present update should be considered as a group of recommendations summarized by Argentinean experts and as the result of a consensus meeting coordinated by the Subcomisión de Antimicrobianos of the Sociedad Argentina de Bacteriología Clínica (Asociación Argentina de Microbiología). Experts in antimicrobial agents were convened in order to prepare this final document. These recommendations take into account local needs, affordability and availability to be used in current practice, tending to contribute to the correct antimicrobial treatment election, according to the particular microorganism and the infection sites.