The critical role of the microbiology lab in antibiotic stewardship

Vikas Gupta, Senior Director of Clinical Affairs at Q-linea and a clinical pharmacist, underscores the vital relationship between microbiology and antibiotic stewardship. Gupta highlights the rising challenge of antimicrobial resistance and the need for rapid susceptibility testing to improve patient outcomes, particularly in sepsis management. He also discusses the benefits of early antibiotic susceptibility and MIC results, emphasizing their role in precision treatment. Additionally, he explores the impact of controlled inoculum consistency and the transformative potential of the ASTar instrument in delivering timely results to stewardship teams, ultimately enhancing patient care.

This video interview was filmed at ESCMID Global 2025, Vienna, Austria.