[Comprehensive management of clinical laboratory for appropriate antimicrobial use].

Accurate diagnosis of infectious diseases is essential for appropriate antimicrobial use. The following five factors should be promoted to accurately diagnose infectious diseases; everyday availability of microbiology laboratory, submitting only appropriate specimens for laboratory examination, providing accurate results to physicians with a rapid turnaround time, and reporting useful information to assist in treatment and delivering educational lectures on clinical microbiology to hospital staff. As a director of a clinical laboratory in a university hospital, I have tackled these issues. Not only laboratory performance and activity, but the information system for healthcare workers were significantly improved. As a result, appropriate antimicrobial use has been achieved in part.