A superspeciality health care hospital
   

            Department of Microbiology

Faculty

Dr. C. Wattal
 (Chairperson)
Dr. Anuj Sharma
Dr. Jaswinder Kaur
Dr. K.J. Prasad
Dr. Sanghamitra Datta
Dr. Reena Ravindran

About us

The main focus of the department is to provide high quality service and improve standards. Over the last decade, this department has attained important milestones.

The efficiency of the laboratory in meticulously following internationally recommended techniques, adhering to various elaborate inbuilt control protocols and guidelines reflects in the accurate test results. Our laboratory is accredited by NABL (ISO 15189:2003).

All samples, particularly CSF and body fluids, are investigated in detail. This has helped us to detect rare diseases such as cryptococcal meningitis, tubercular brain abscess, disseminated nocardiosis, cardiac hydatidosis and systemic histoplasmosis.

Our faculty members participate in national and international conferences, seminars, symposia, and in activities conducted by the WHO.

The department brings out the Microbiology Newsletter, which was started in 1995 and is widely circulated in medical colleges all over India.

State-of-the-art techniques :

  1. NASBA (Nucleic Acid Sequence Based Amplification) assays started for molecular diagnosis of CMV and HIV (quantitative).

  2. Geneprobe for molecular diagnosis of TB (RNA amplification assay) BacTAleart-3D also includes automotion for rapid culture of mycobacteria. Rapid accuprobe assay done for species identification of mycobacteria.

  3. Automation in blood culture (BacT/Alert), the first in north India.

  4. VITEK-2 has been acquired by upgrading Vitek-1, for automation in bacterial identification and antimicrobial sensitivity (with MIC values).

  5. Direct fluorescence assay (for M. tuberculosis)

  6. Profiles for viral hepatitis (A, B, C and E). Ours is probably the only laboratory in the city that confirms hepatitis B virus surface antigen positive cases with a confirmatory neutralisation assay.

  7. Rapid diagnostic tests for HIV (all HIV positives are confirmed with 3 different ELISAs as per WHO recommendations), cryptococcal meningitis and leptospirosis.

  8. ELISA for dengue fever, mycobacterial infections, amoebiasis, etc.

  9. Assay for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) using the Etest, to obtain accurate knowledge of antibiotic sensitivity

  10. Schlichter's Test: The efficacy of antibiotics against bacterial isolates in vivo is ensured by the Schlichter's test. This is important in patients with bacterial endocarditis, those facing antibiotic therapy failure and in determining the efficacy of switching from parenteral to oral therapy before discharge.

Quality Control

  • Quality Control protocols followed, as per international standards.

  • Antibiotic sensitivity is done as per the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) with American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) controls.

  • Enzyme Immuno Assay (EIA) controls evaluated in every run.

  • Computerised data records and archives.

  • A standard operating procedures (SOP) manual was published as a reference document for all technical staff to follow. This was upgraded as per NABL standards.

Molecular Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases

The nucleic acid sequence based assays (NASBA) are being done for the following: -

  1. CMV (Qualitative)

  2. HIV (Qualitative and Quantitative)

  3. TB - generpobe assay

The earliest detection of the reactivation of CMV or Tuberculosis shall be known by detecting its messenger RNA in almost any sample. This assay is better than PCR by not amplifying the nucleic acid sequences from dead organisms and has minimal threat of carryover contamination.

Forthcoming Investigations

  • ELISA work station

  • Anaerobic work station

Upgradation of Laboratory

This has been a continuous process. The following equipment is being planned to be added to the department if allowed, with an aim of further improving the quality and standard of our investigations: -

  • CO2 Incubator

  • Digital Photomicrograph system for documentation of the M/E findings. Such prints can be attached with the reports of the patients for objective evaluation.

Hospital Infection Control

  • Hospital Infection Control Committee meets twice a month of which Dr. C. Wattal is the member secretary since last ten years.

  • Monitoring of CSSD (3M Attest system)

  • Surveillance of pathogens.

  • Infection control policies in force: disinfection, surveillance, isolation, antibiotic and chemoprophylaxis.

  • Active participation of Hospital Infection Control Nurse.

  • Nurses from School of Nursing attend the department during their course.

  • 6 monthly antibiogrammes published in the Microbiology Newsletter

  • Continuing medical education (CME) programme held regularly.

  • HMA award for the HIC committee in 2002.

Academic Activities

  • A regular 6 monthly antibiogramme is published in our Microbiology Newsletter (a department publication) since 1995, first of its kind in India. This helps us to regularly update our empiric antibiotic policy.

  • Active participation in DNB training programme. Faculty is co-guide to DNB students that have thesis in collaboration with the department.

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  • Academically active faculty attending national and international conferences and presenting papers. They receive invitation for participation in W.H.O. activities and other seminars and symposia. Our H.O.D. also has the distinction of having got listed in the Marquis Who's Who in Science and Engineering (USA) directory for the year 1998-99. He is also the editor of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Newsletter.

  • Accreditation for DNB course in Clinical Microbiology since 2003.

  • Weekly In-house CME for the technical staff as per the schedule.

Publications

  1. Datta S, Oberoi JK, Chugh TD. Laboratory diagnosis of Neonatal Sepsis. J Neonatology 2006; 20(1): 16-23

  2. Wattal C, Kotwani A, Sharma A, Raveendran R, Bhandari SK, Khanna S. Chaudhury RR, Hollaway K and Sorensen T. Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial use. Clinical Microbiology & Infection, 2005; 11, Supplement 2, R 2000, 665

  3. Behbehani N, Mahmood A, Mokaddas EM, Bittar Z, Jayakrishnan B, Khadadah M, Pacsa AS, Dar R, Chugh TD. Significance of atypical pathogens among community-acquired pneumonia adult patients admitted to hospital in Kuwait. Medical Principles and Practice 2005; 14: 235-40

  4. Wattal C, Joshi S, Sharma A, Oberoi JK, Prasad KJ. Prescription auditing and antimicrobial resistance in a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi, India. J Hosp Infect 2005; 59 (2): 156-8

  5. Wattal C and Datta S. Diagnosis of MDR Tuberculosis. J Int Med Sc Acad 2005; 18(2); 99-103

  6. Wattal C. Antibiotic policy: why and for whom? J Int Med Sc Acad. 2004; 17(3): 170-3

  7. Sharma A. Emerging and re-emerging infections. J Int Med Sc Acad. 2004; 17(3): 190-3

  8. Khanna S, Joshi S, Wattal C. Genitourinary tuberculosis: diagnostic challenges and therapy. J Int Med Sc Acad. 2004; 17(3): 205-9

  9. Oberoi JK and Wattal C. Interpretation of TORCH. J Int Med Sc Acad. 2004; 17(3): 194-8

  10. Prasad KJ, Wattal C. Molecular tools in infectious diseases. J Int Med Sc Acad. 2004; 17(3): 210-3

  11. Wattal C, Joshi S, Gupta A, Sharma A, Oberoi JK, Prasad KJ, Rana DS, Bhalla A, Khullar D. CMV disease in renal transplant. Transplant Infect Diseases 2004; 6: 90-2

  12. Wattal C, Joshi S, Sharma A, Oberoi JK, Prasad KJ. Quinolone - drug of choice for enteric fever? Ind J Med Microbiol.2004; 22(4): 271

  13. Joshi S, Wattal C, Duggal L, Sharma A, Oberoi JK, Prasad KJ. Cutaneous Cryptococcosis. J Assoc Phys India 2004; 52: 242-3

  14. Basu S, Prakash K, Gugnani KC, Joshi S, Wattal C, Padhye A. Isolation of Trichosporon mucoides from urine. J Mycol Med 2003; 13: 155-6

  15. Wattal C. Improving bacteriological diagnosis of tuberculosis. Ind J Pediatr 2002; 69 Suppl 1: S11-9

  16. Joshi S, Wattal C, Sharma A, Prasad KJ. Mixed Salmonella infection - a case report. Ind J Med Microbiol 2002; 20: 113-4

Chapters in Books

  1. Wattal C, Oberoi JK. Recent advances in control and prophylaxis of surgical infections. In "Recent advances in surgery" Ed. Roshan Lall Gupta. JP Brothers, New Delhi, 2006, 76-105

  2. Bawa N, Goel N, Sood R, MathurA , Wattal C, Rattan A. Laboratory diagnosis of Mycobacterial infection in children. In "Essentials of Tuberculosis in children" Prof. Vimlesh Seth's book. Third Ed. JP Brothers, New Delhi, 2005, 356-74

  3. Sood R, Mathur A, Wattal C, Goel N, Bawa N, Rattan A. Non Tuberculous Mycobacteria: an update. In "Essentials of Tuberculosis in children" Prof. Vimlesh Seth's book. Third Ed. JP Brothers, New Delhi, 2005, 66-75

  4. Dhar SN and Wattal C. Pulmonary Hydatid Disease in India, Diagnosis and Management. Lung Diseases in Tropics Vol. 51 Ed. Sharma OP. Lung Biology in Health & Disease. Marcel Decker, Inc. New York, USA, 1991, Vol 51, 273-93

Presentation & Abstracts published at National / International Conferences

  1. Wattal C & Sharma A. Candidaemia a cause or effect of Staph. septicaemia. 8th European Congress of Clinical Microbiologists & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), Lausanne, Switzerland. May 1997.

  2. Wattal C & Sharma A. Rapid Isolation of Yeast fungi using BacT Alert System. 8th ECCMID, Lausanne, Switzerland. May 1997.

  3. Wattal C & Sharma A. Fan-Aerobic Blood Culture Bottles (BacT Alert) for Paediatric Use. 8th International Congress of Infectious Diseases, Boston (USA). May 1998.

    4.

  4. Sharma A, Wattal C and Prasad KJ. Detection of Extended Spectrum b Lactamases in Multi Drug Resistant Gram Negative Isolates at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. Fifth National Conference on Hospital Infection, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi. November 27-29, 1998

  5. Wattal C, Sharma A and Prasad KJ. Correlation of Antibiotic Usage with development of Resistance in Pediatric and Adult population at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. Fifth National Conference on Hospital Infection, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi. November 27-29, 1998

  6. Prasad KJ, Wattal C and Sharma A. Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C Virus antibodies in Thalassaemia patients. An international single theme consensus conference on "Hepatitis B and C: Carrier to Cancer-Asian Perspectives" organised by Indian Association for the study of the Liver (INSAL). Department of Gastroenterology G.B. Pant Hospital, New Delhi held at Hotel Ashok, New Delhi from 4-6 Dec 1998.

  7. Wattal C., Sharma A., Prasad K.J., Joshi. S., Pre-vaccination screening of high-risk hospital population for `a specific anti HBV antibody. Poster presentation at Sixth ISTM, Montreal, Canada, June 6-10, 1999.

  8. Sharma A, Wattal C, Joshi S, & Prasad KJ, Changing Pattern of Organisms Causing Septicaemia. XXIII National Congress of Indian Assoc. Medical Microbiologists, held at PGIMER, Chandigarh from 18-21, Nov. 1999. (Poster presentation)

  9. Joshi S, Wattal C, Sharma A., & Prasad KJ, Emerging Trends in Salmonella Isolates at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi (1995-1999) XXIII National Congress of Indian Assoc. Medical Microbiologists, held at PGIMER, Chandigarh from 18-21, Nov. 1999. (Poster presentation)

  10. Prasad KJ, Wattal C., Sharma A., & Joshi S., Seropositivity of Hepatitis Viruses (A, B, C and E) in Hospital based Population - over a period of four years. XXIII National Congress of Indian Assoc. Medical Microbiologists, held at PGIMER, Chandigarh from 18-21, Nov. 1999. (Poster presentation)

  11. Wattal C., Joshi S., Sharma A., & Prasad K.J. Evaluation of Fluorochrome staining for Mycobacterial Infections against Mycobacterial culture. XXIII National Congress of Indian Assoc. Medical Microbiologists, held at PGIMER, Chandigarh from 18-21, Nov. 1999. (Poster presentation)

  12. Prasad K.J., Wattal C., Sharma A., Joshi S., Status of Transfusion Transmissible Infections among blood donors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, 24th National Conference of Indian Soc. Of Blood Transfusion held at Lucknow from 28-30, Nov. 1999. (Abstract)

  13. Joshi S., Wattal C., Sharma A. and Prasad KJ., Fungal sinusitis with special reference to dematiaceous fungi. XXIV National Congress of the Indian Association of Medical Microbiologists at J.N. Medical College, Belgaum, from 17-19th Nov. 2000. (Poster presentation)

  14. Wattal C., Joshi S., Sharma A., & Prasad KJ., Nocardia Infections: A Retrospective study. Fourth Symposium on the control of Surgical Infections held at Florence, Italy 19th to 21st April 2001. (Abstract).

  15. Joshi S, Wattal C, Sharma A, & Prasad KJ. Drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, XXV Congress of the IAMM, held at AIIMS, Delhi, November 2001.

  16. Joshi S, Wattal C, Sharma A, & Prasad KJ. Nocardiosis at SGRH, XXV Congress of the IAMM, held at AIIMS, Delhi, November 2001.

  17. Joshi S, Wattal C, Sharma A, Oberoi JK & Prasad KJ. Prescription auditing and antibiotic resistance pattern at SGRH, at the XXVI National conference of the IAMM, held at NIMHANS Bangalore, November 2002

Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi 110060, INDIA
Tel: 25735205, 25861463 Fax: 25861002 Email: gangaram@sgrh.com
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