Laboratory Speak: The fundamentals of pathogenic bacteria

by Verona A. Lodholz, DC, MT(ASCP), CPC, CCDS

Microbiology is the study of things that can’t be seen by the naked eye. To the CDI specialist, the term refers to human pathogens and the diseases they can cause. This article discusses some of the fundamentals of pathogenic bacteria and the way they can cause or worsen the disease process, as well as a little about how antibiotic treatment works. As we learned in science class, the human body is made up of billions of cells. Bacteria are single-celled organisms able to survive individually. As such, they don’t have skin holding them together, but instead have cell walls. The cell wall is the key to identification of bacteria and the methods to fight the organisms.