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Standards for microbiology investigations (SMI)

UK Standards for Microbiology Investigations (SMIs) are a comprehensive referenced collection of recommended algorithms and procedures for clinical microbiology.

Published 1 August 2014
Last updated 23 September 2014 — see all updates
From:
Public Health England

SMI repository

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Bacteriology

These are bacteriology standards for the laboratory covering receipt of the sample in the laboratory to the issue of a report.

  1. SMI B 1: Investigation of ear infections and associated specimens

    • Guidance

  2. SMI B 2: Investigation of bacterial eye infections

    • Guidance

  3. SMI B 4: Investigation of superficial mouth samples

    • Guidance

  4. SMI B 5: Investigation of nasal samples

    • Guidance

  5. SMI B 6: Culture of specimens for Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella parapertussis

    • Guidance

  6. SMI B 9: Investigation of throat related specimens

    • Guidance

  7. SMI B 10: Processing of faeces for Clostridium difficile

    • Guidance

  8. SMI B 11: Investigation of swabs from skin and superficial soft tissue infections

    • Guidance

  9. SMI B 14: Investigation of pus and exudates

    • Guidance

  10. SMI B 15: investigation of bile

    • Guidance

  11. SMI B 17: Investigation of tissues and biopsies from deep seated sites and organs

    • Guidance

  12. SMI B 20: Investigation of intravascular cannulae and associated specimens

    • Guidance

  13. SMI B 22: Investigation of cerebrospinal fluid shunts

    • Guidance

  14. SMI B 25: Investigation of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis fluid

    • Guidance

  15. SMI B 26: Investigation of fluids from normally sterile sites

    • Guidance

  16. SMI B 27: Investigation of cerebrospinal fluid

    • Guidance

  17. SMI B 28: Investigation of genital tract and associated specimens

    • Guidance

  18. SMI B 29: investigation of specimens for screening for MRSA

    • Guidance

  19. SMI B 30: Investigation of faecal specimens for enteric pathogens

    • Guidance

  20. SMI B 31: Investigation of specimens other than blood for parasites

    • Guidance

  21. SMI B 37: Investigation of blood cultures (for organisms other than Mycobacterium species)

    • Guidance

  22. SMI B 38: Investigation of bone marrow

    • Guidance

  23. SMI B 39: Investigation of dermatological specimens for superficial mycoses

    • Guidance

  24. SMI B 40: Investigation of specimens for Mycobacterium species

    • Guidance

  25. SMI B 41: Investigation of urine

    • Guidance

  26. SMI B 42: Investigation of bone and soft tissue associated with osteomyelitis

    • Guidance

  27. SMI B 44: Investigation of orthopaedic implant associated infections

    • Guidance

  28. SMI B 51: Screening for Neisseria meningitidis

    • Guidance

  29. SMI B 55: Investigation of gastric biopsies for Helicobacter pylori

    • Guidance

  30. SMI B 57: Investigation of bronchoalveolar lavage, sputum and associated specimens

    • Guidance

  31. SMI B 58: Detection of carriage of group B streptococci

    • Guidance

  32. SMI B 59: Detection of Enterobacteriaceae producing extended spectrum β lactamases

    • Guidance

  33. SMI B 60: Detection of bacteria with carbapenem hydrolysing β lactamases (carbapenemases)

    • Guidance

  34. SMI B 61: Investigation of specimens for ectoparasites

    • Guidance

Virology

Virology and serology diagnostic algorithms and standards for the laboratory testing of viruses.

  1. SMI V 4: Hepatitis B diagnostic serology in the immunocompetent (including hepatitis B in pregnancy)

    • Guidance

  2. SMI V 5: Screening for hepatitis C infection

    • Guidance

  3. SMI V 8: Vertical and perinatal transmission of hepatitis C

    • Guidance

  4. SMI V 11: HIV screening and confirmation

    • Guidance

  5. SMI V 26: Epstein-barr virus serology

    • Guidance

  6. SMI V 27: Hepatitis A virus acute infection serology

    • Guidance

  7. SMI V 28: Cytomegalovirus serology

    • Guidance

  8. SMI V 30: Investigation of pregnant women exposed to non-vesicular rash

    • Guidance

  9. SMI V 37: Chlamydia trachomatis infection: testing by nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT)

    • Guidance

  10. SMI V 43: Investigation of viral encephalitis

    • Guidance

  11. SMI V 44: Syphilis serology

    • Guidance

  12. SMI V 53: Screening for hepatitis E infection

    • Guidance

  13. SMI V 57: Chlamydial zoonotic infections

    • Guidance

Identification

These documents cover techniques used for bacterial identification.

  1. SMI ID 1: Introduction to the preliminary identification of medically important bacteria and fungi from culture

    • Guidance

  2. SMI ID 2: Identification of Corynebacterium species

    • Guidance

  3. SMI ID 3: Identification of Listeria species, and other non sporing Gram positive rods, except Corynebacterium

    • Guidance

  4. SMI ID 4: Identification of Streptococcus species, Enterococcus species and morphologically similar organisms

    • Guidance

  5. SMI ID 5: Identification of Bordetella species

    • Guidance

  6. SMI ID 6: identification of Neisseria species

    • Guidance

  7. SMI ID 7: Identification of Staphylococcus species, Micrococcus species and Rothia species

    • Guidance

  8. SMI ID 8: Identification of Clostridium species

    • Guidance

  9. SMI ID 9: Identification of Bacillus species

    • Guidance

  10. SMI ID 10: Identification of aerobic actinomycetes

    • Guidance

  11. SMI ID 11: Identification of Moraxella species and morphologically similar organisms

    • Guidance

  12. SMI ID 12: Identification of Haemophilus species and the HACEK group of organisms

    • Guidance

  13. SMI ID 13: Identification of Pasteurella species and morphologically similar bacteria

    • Guidance

  14. SMI ID 14: Identification of anaerobic cocci

    • Guidance

  15. SMI ID 15: Identification of anaerobic Actinomyces species

    • Guidance

  16. SMI ID 16: Identification of Enterobacteriaceae

    • Guidance

  17. SMI ID 17: Identification of Pseudomonas species and other non glucose fermenters

    • Guidance

  18. SMI ID 18: Identification of Legionella species

    • Guidance

  19. SMI ID 19: Identification of Vibrio and Aeromonas species

    • Guidance

  20. SMI ID 20: Identification of Shigella species

    • Guidance

  21. SMI ID 21: Identification of Yersinia species

    • Guidance

  22. SMI ID 22: Identification of VTEC including Escherichia coli O157

    • Guidance

  23. SMI ID 23: Identification of Campylobacter species

    • Guidance

  24. SMI ID 24: Identification of Salmonella species

    • Guidance

  25. SMI ID 25: Identification of anaerobic Gram negative rods

    • Guidance

  26. SMI ID 26: Identification of Helicobacter species

    • Guidance

These standards describe essential laboratory practices to ensure quality like assay validation, quality assurance and understanding uncertainty of measurement.

National user manual and Syndromic algorithm

The national user manual template contains standard headings and suggestions to guide laboratories in completing a national user manual. Two worked examples of use have been developed and work on this has now been completed.

The syndromic algorithm documents provide the overarching framework for all other UK SMIs.

These standards help clinicians and diagnostic laboratory staff choose the correct approach for investigating a sample from a clinical setting.

Further development of syndromic algorithms has ceased and the current documents will remain on the website until they are superseded or withdrawn.

Test procedures

These standards outline the test procedures for identifying the organisms.

  1. SMI TP 1: Example reference strains for UK SMI test procedures

    • Guidance

  2. SMI TP 2: Aesculin hydrolysis test

    • Guidance

  3. SMI TP 3: Agglutination test for Salmonella species

    • Guidance

  4. SMI TP 5: bile solubility test

    • Guidance

  5. SMI TP 8: catalase test

    • Guidance

  6. SMI TP 10: coagulase test

    • Guidance

  7. SMI TP 12: deoxyribonuclease test

    • Guidance

  8. SMI TP 19: Indole test

    • Guidance

  9. SMI TP 21: Motility test

    • Guidance

  10. SMI TP 24: ONPG (Beta-Galactosidase) test

    • Guidance

  11. SMI TP 25: Optochin test

    • Guidance

  12. SMI TP 26: Oxidase test

    • Guidance

  13. SMI TP 27: Oxidation fermentation of glucose test

    • Guidance

  14. SMI TP 29: Porphyrin synthesis (ALA) test

    • Guidance

  15. SMI TP 30: Potassium hydroxide test

    • Guidance

  16. SMI TP 32: Changing the phase of Salmonella

    • Guidance

  17. SMI TP 34: Thermonuclease test

    • Guidance

  18. SMI TP 36: Urease test

    • Guidance

  19. SMI TP 38: X and V factor test

    • Guidance

  20. SMI TP 39: staining procedures

    • Guidance

  21. SMI TP 40: MALDI TOF MS test procedure

    • Guidance

Withdrawn and recalled documents

  1. UK SMI withdrawn and recalled documents

    • Guidance
Published 1 August 2014
Last updated 23 September 2014 + show all updates
  1. The standards for microbiology investigations (SMI): searchable index has been added.
  2. First published.
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