Microbiology - Result Entry (three‑grid workflow)

Use the Microbiology Result Entry form to record, review, and finalize culture results. The screen is organized into three grids and tabbed panels to guide you from order selection through preliminary and final reporting.

Screen layout at a glance

• Orders grid (top)
  • Shows the orders you selected for result entry.
• Tests grid (middle)
  • Lists the microbiology tests for the highlighted order (e.g., Urine Culture, Blood Culture).
• Result Entry grid (bottom) — tabbed
  • Tab 1: Source & Procedures — select culture source; log microbiology procedures performed.
  • Tab 2: Preliminary — enter preliminary findings (e.g., Gram stain, morphology, quantities).
  • Tab 3: Final — enter final organism(s), culture quantities, and susceptibilities.

Picklist helpers on each tab

• Funnel button
  • Shows a short, context‑specific list filtered to the current test/specimen.
  • Example: For Blood Culture, the funnel limits the Source picklist to “Blood.”
• Magnifier button
  • Shows the full master list from the LIS (all sources, organisms, etc.).
  • Example: For Urine Culture, the magnifier shows all specimen sources in the system.

Use the funnel for speed and consistency; use the magnifier for exceptions.

Tab 1 — Source & Procedures

• Select the specimen Source (use the funnel for a curated list).
• Log Procedures performed (e.g., Gram stain, subculture). These actions improve traceability and, when configured, may be billable.

Tips

• Keep sources scoped to the test to prevent misclassification.

Tab 2 — Preliminary Results

• Enter preliminary findings (e.g., “Gram‑negative bacilli,” PMN quantity, mixed flora).
• History button
  • Opens prior results for the selected patient/test to assess trends.
• Flag button
  • Manually set a result flag (e.g., based on organism identification or threshold).
  • Note: Auto‑flagging can be driven by Test Master File/clinical ranges if configured.

Mass result entry (preliminary)

• When multiple orders are selected and they contain one common test:
  1. Select all those test rows in the Tests grid.
  2. The mass‑entry button activates.
  3. Enter the same preliminary result once to apply to all selected rows.
• Important: This works only when all selected tests are the same type (e.g., all are Urine Culture).

Tab 3 — Final Results

• Select organism(s), culture quantity, and enter final interpretations.
• Susceptibility entry
  • Next to organism selection, you’ll see the antibiotics panel for S/I/R or MIC/zone entry.
  • Only the Antibiotic Group associated to the culture/test is shown to reduce errors.
  • You can pop out these panels to expand the work area (consistent with other LIS forms).
  • For panel behavior, see the “Antibiotic Groups” topic.
• Still Pending checkbox
  • Use when issuing a final result while the culture is being re‑incubated and additional organisms may still grow (a final with pending addendum).

Comments

• Click the Comments button at the top of the form.
• The available comment tabs adjust to the grid/tab you’re on (e.g., preliminary notes vs. final report comments).
• Add concise, standardized comments to improve clarity; these can be report‑visible or internal per configuration.

Save and release

• Click Save to commit entries.
• Use your lab’s Review/Release workflow to finalize and distribute results. Preliminary entries are not distributed unless policy allows.

Best practices

• Prefer the funnel picklists for faster, safer selections; use the magnifier only for exceptions.
• Use mass entry only for identical test types and preliminary data; avoid for corrections.
• Confirm that antibiotic panels match the selected organism’s Antibiotic Group before entering Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing.
• Use History to check deltas and support interpretive comments.
• Document critical values and read‑backs per policy before release.
• If re‑incubating, mark Still Pending to signal possible addenda.

Troubleshooting

• Mass entry button not active: Ensure multiple orders are loaded and the same test type is selected across all rows.
• Funnel list seems empty/wrong: Verify the test’s configured Sources/Findings are active and linked; use the magnifier as a fallback.
• Antibiotics panel missing/incomplete: Check that the organism is linked to an active Antibiotic Group and that antibiotics are active.
• Can’t enter results: Another user may have the order/tests locked; coordinate or wait until the lock is released.
• Comments not showing on the report: Confirm you used the appropriate comment tab and that the report template includes that comment type.

Related topics: Sources, Findings, Culture Quantity, Organisms, Antibiotic Groups, Procedures, Result Corrections, Review and Release.

📘 Instructions