Dr Mandy Wootton

Doctor

Public Health Wales / EUCAST

Biography

Presentation Title: Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing and EUCAST guidance in a modern microbiology laboratory.

Abstract: 

Providing accurate and precise antimicrobial susceptibility results for clinical bacterial isolates can be challenging. There is no one-size-fits-all testing solution; and combined multiple tests are required to give a comprehensive service. Other challenges include proliferation of antimicrobial resistance, including novel resistance mechanisms, and increasingly complex testing guidance. It is therefore important to for both scientists and clinicians to be aware of and understand the most current guidance from EUCAST as well as the limitations of various testing methodologies.

Speaker Bio: 

Mandy is currently Consultant Scientist/Operational manager of the Specialist Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Unit (SACU) in Public Health Wales, an antibiotic resistance reference service for Wales. She has >20 years experience of susceptibility testing methods and resistance mechanisms. She is secretary of the BSAC susceptibility testing committee, providing educational workshops and conferences, plus is an active participant in developing EUCAST methodology and guidelines for the European Development Laboratory (EDL). Prior to Cardiff she spent over 10 years in clinical research on antibiotics in Bristol, where she completed her PhD in glycopeptide resistance in S. aureus.