University of Virginia Health System

Beginning May 1, 2001, MIC susceptibility testing for Stenotrophomonas maltophilia as well as several other non-enteric gram negative rods will be performed in-house using the E-Test method. The antimicrobials that will be tested and reported are:

Cefepime

Ciprofloxacin

Gatifloxacin

Trimethaprim/sulfamethoxazole

Tetracycline

Piperacillin/Tazobactam

In order to comply with applicable accreditation standards and have a positive impact on patient care, the Medical Laboratories will no longer accept any specimen that is not properly labeled. Such requests will be routinely denied and will need to be re-collected. The physician submitting the sample will be notified.

In rare instances, when the specimen is considered irretrievable or irreplaceable and critical to a patient’s life or health, the lab will analyze the specimen after the physician signs an attestation statement. A licensed caregiver must come to the laboratory and correctly label the specimen.

No exemptions will be accepted for Blood Bank specimens or for HIV testing.

Please refer to Health System Policy No. 0083 for details regarding proper labeling of specimens.