Mini-review: Recent advances in imaging-based rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing

Abstract

The rapid emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria have become a major threat to public health. In clinics, antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) is employed to guide appropriate prescription to suppress the aggravation of antibiotic resistance. However, the conventional culture-based AST methods are time-consuming and labor-intensive. Therefore, rapid AST approaches are urgently needed. In this review, conventional, commercial, and recent progress in novel imaging-based rapid AST modalities are reviewed with the merits and limitations of each recent imaging-based method highlighted. Moreover, we also discuss the future directions of applying imaging-based rapid AST to point-of-care diagnosis.