An evaluation of inpatient consultations conducted by clinical microbiologists in a teaching hospital

A systematic procedure for conducting consultations by clinical microbiologists requested by their clinical colleagues is described. The method was evaluated over a period of 17 months and involved sequential consultations related to 229 patients with known or probable infections. An attempt was made to elucidate the contributions of the clinical microbiologists in achieving a better understanding of the problems experienced in this particular setting and which in turn led to improved management of patients. It is hoped that this paper may provide a practical working framework for clinical microbiologists in the care of patients suffering from infection.