1. Identifying Effective Treatment:

By determining which drugs a pathogen is sensitive or resistant to, healthcare providers can choose the most effective treatment regimen.

2. Monitoring Resistance Trends:

TDST helps in tracking the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance, which is essential for public health surveillance and developing strategies to counteract resistance.

3. Ensuring Quality Control:

DST is used in clinical laboratories to ensure the reliability and accuracy of antimicrobial agents and testing procedures.

Common methods of DST include:

Broth Dilution:

Involves exposing the pathogen to varying concentrations of the antimicrobial agent in a liquid medium to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) that inhibits the growth of the organism.

Agar Dilution:

Similar to broth dilution, but performed on solid media (agar plates).

Disk Diffusion (Kirby-Bauer Test):

Disks impregnated with antibiotics are placed on an agar plate inoculated with the pathogen. The zone of inhibition around each disk is measured to determine susceptibility.

Etest (Epsilometer Test):

Uses a strip impregnated with a gradient of the antibiotic. The point at which the bacterial growth intersects the strip indicates the MIC.

Molecular Methods:

Techniques like polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect genetic markers associated with resistance.

Overall, DST is a vital tool in modern medicine, ensuring that infections are treated with the most effective and appropriate antimicrobial agents.