Evaluation of a computer-associated electronic zone analyzer in single-disc antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

A computer-associated electronic zone analyzer was evaluated for use in measuring zones of inhibition for single-disc antimicrobial susceptibility testing. This unit gave measurements which were reproducible and comparable to those obtained by the standard manual technique. By feeding results directly into the computer, this system eliminates errors in interpretation of zone sizes and in transcription of results to clinical reports. It has also been shown to eliminate possible sources of observer bias. In routine high-volume use, this system has resulted in a substantial saving of man-hours of work.