Clinical Microbiology and Microbiological Testing

Author: Zhang Zhuoran
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-10-01
Features: The changes in the third edition are significant. First, there is a change in the book title. To highlight the characteristics of the testing profession and shorten the distance from clinical medicine, the original title "Microbiology and Microbiological Testing" was changed to "Clinical Microbiology and Microbiological Testing."
Additionally, in line with the overall reform of medical undergraduate education, adhering to the principle of "early convergence and later specialization," all professional directions in clinical medicine must take the same foundational courses in the first three years, with specialization emphasized in the last two years. According to this requirement, students have already studied "Medical Microbiology" in the first four years. To avoid repetition, this textbook focuses on clinical microbiology, removing the general microbiology section from previous editions. To maintain the transition from medical microbiology to clinical microbiology, the book begins with an "Introduction to Clinical Microbiology" as a bridge, followed by the main content, which includes three parts: "Clinical Bacteriology," "Clinical Mycology," and "Clinical Virology." The content of these three parts is also different from the previous two editions. First, the content on fungi and viruses has been strengthened with the addition of two new chapters. Second, these three parts emphasize three aspects: the taxonomic status of microorganisms, their clinical significance, and microbial characteristics and testing. Third, in microbial testing, direct examination of samples is highlighted. Although the "gold standard" for microbial testing remains the isolation and identification of a specific microorganism, the book adheres to the principle of rapid diagnosis based on direct microscopic examination, microbial antigen and nucleic acid testing, in line with the clinical need for quick early diagnosis.