Il ruolo attuale del microbiologo clinico nella gestione delle infezioni respiratorie (The role of the clinical microbiologist in the management of the respiratory infections today)

Respiratory infections are widespread and are responsible for severe human infectious diseases. Their importance is related to the high economic and social costs due to health expenses for therapies and hospitalization, as well as lack of productivity Microbiological laboratory is still now a special concern, because of the possibility of a short time diagnosis, thanks also to molecular methods. Indeed, these methods offer the high advantage of the rapid identification of the microorganisms responsible for the infections, by overcoming the usually long times of the "in vitro" growth or making possible early administration of specific antibiotics and decreasing the risk for resistant strain selection. Clinical microbiologist appears, therefore, to be strategic for both diagnosis and therapeutic management of these patients.