INTRODUCTION: In this experiment I was testing for antimicrobial sensitivity of Staphylococcus epidermidis by using the Kirby-Bauer Diffusion test. The three antibiotics utilized in this lab were: gentamicin, novobiocin, and penicillin. I determined the effectiveness of the antibiotic by observing and measuring the zone of inhibition for each antibiotic. I used the measurements and compared them again with the Antibiotic Susceptibility zone chart. I was able to determine whether the S. epidermidis was resistant or sensitive to the different antibiotics. In healthcare, the physician utilizes the same information from the lab to determine the course of treatment. If the physician is unable to diagnose the exact cause of the infection, they …show more content…
Aseptic technique was initiated at the beginning of this experiment by cleaning the work surface with disinfected wipes. Personal protectives equipment was also worn. The material utilized in this experiment was: S. epidermidis culture broth, sterile cotton swab, streak plate, forceps in 70% alcohol, a lit tea light, and the three antibiotic disks (novobiocin, gentamicin, penicillin). The first step, I divided a plate into three quadrants and labelled them with the different antibiotic names. Using the lit tea light, like a bursen burner, I flamed the mouth of the S. epidermidis culture. The sterile cotton swab was inserted in the S. epidermidis culture and twirled around to obtain a specimen. The entire plate was inoculate with the swab from top to bottom, to achieve a lawn of growth. The dry forceps was used to remove the antibiotic disk into the appropriate spot on the plate. This process was repeated for the all antibiotics with aseptic technique being used. The plate was incubate with lid up on the bookshelf at room temperature for 48 hours. After 48 hours, I observed different growth patterns around the disks. I measured the zone of inhibition of each antibiotic and document them on Microbiology task 3