Interpret a publication or prepare a laboratory report

Describe the MIC distribution from the data you have

Enter the sample size, measured concentration groups and reported summaries or counts. The report shows how many isolates can lie in each MIC group, which conclusions follow and which additional count would help. Population confidence intervals are a separate analysis.

Process several samples together, or check disclosed counts without the original histogram.

First time here?

Open a filled-in example to see what belongs in each field. Example values are separate from your own analysis.

Try a prepared example

Connecting to the local application…

Incomplete information

Enter your MIC results

Which isolates do these results describe?

Use one organism, one antimicrobial and one group of isolates at a time.

Example from a publication

If a row says “E. coli, ampicillin, n = 67”, enter 67 below. Do not enter the total for the whole paper if this row uses a smaller group.

How many isolates? requiredCopy n for this row, or add the laboratory category counts. Every result you enter must refer to these same isolates. Unit printed with the MIC values requiredLook in the table heading or laboratory report. The software needs this to interpret the concentrations. Name for this analysisAny name you recognise. This labels your saved report; it does not affect the calculation.

Add organism, antimicrobial and source notes (optional)

These notes help you recognise the result later. They do not supply missing test concentrations or clinical breakpoints.

OrganismAntimicrobialPanel name, if knownSource or laboratory record

Add host, specimen and sampling context (optional)

Copy the available source facts. Leave unknown details blank; these fields do not select a statistical method.

Host speciesSpecimen or body siteRepeated isolates from the same animal or person?Herd, farm, hospital or other sampling groupsIntended population — your interpretation

Repeated isolates from the same animal or person may be related. Isolates from one herd, farm or hospital may share exposures. One isolate per host does not establish independence; independence also does not establish that a convenience or referral sample represents your intended population.

Copy the results you already have

Summaries are optional when counts or an observed range already constrain the sample.

Copy; do not reconstruct

Choose the MIC50 and MIC90 values exactly as shown in the table. If you only have counts, leave these two values blank and use “Add a count” below.

Why does the program ask how MIC50/MIC90 were calculated?

Different rules can select different observations in a small sample. Under the ceiling rule, sort the MIC values and use the first observation reaching 50% or 90% of n: for 20 isolates, observations 10 and 18. Select that rule only if the source states it, or if you deliberately accept it as an analysis assumption. It is not confirmed just because the paper reports MIC50/MIC90.

If the rule is unknown, do not guess. You can analyse available counts without these summaries, or assess stated alternative rules under the advanced options.

Add the observed MIC range (optional)

Use the smallest and largest MIC actually observed in this sample. These are different from the lowest and highest concentrations tested.

Observed minimum optionalObserved maximum optional

Compare alternative MIC50/MIC90 rules (advanced)

When the source does not establish a convention, add each defensible interpretation. Results include all compatible declared alternatives; these are assumptions, not verified source metadata.

Does the source give any other counts?

For example: “59 of 67 isolates had MIC ≤0.25 mg/L”. Add one row, enter 0.25, choose ≤, and enter 59. The program uses that information to narrow the possible distribution. Skip this section if no other counts are available.

What should the report show?

Your first report will show the possible number and percentage of isolates in each MIC group. You can continue without selecting a statistical method.

Plan requests for missing counts (advanced)

Analysis goal

Describe the whole recorded distribution

The report gives possible counts and percentages for every supplied category and cumulative boundary.

Ask for fewer, more precisely described MIC groups (optional)

Largest acceptable width for grouped sample percentages optional, percentage points

With this request, the program finds the most detailed contiguous grouping supported at that width. For example, 10 allows a group percentage to span at most 10 percentage points, such as 20–30%. Leave blank to keep the supplied groups.

Add a question about a concentration (optional)

1. The observed sample

Always evaluated from the information supplied. No random-sampling assumption is required.

Extend the result to a population (optional)

Estimate beyond these isolates

Use this only when your sampling design supports conclusions about the population from which the isolates were drawn.

I explicitly assume independent sampling from the same population (iid) for this population analysis.

Leave unchecked if independence or the sampling population is unknown. Repeated isolates from the same animal/person, or clusters within a herd, farm or hospital, can violate independence. Selecting this box does not make a sample representative or correct for clustering. The sample description remains available.

Use a separately prepared calibration (advanced)

Bounds for a new study unit

This is not needed to describe the sample you entered.

A compatible prepared reference and calibration manifest are required. Without them this layer is reported as unavailable.

Import prepared calibration JSON

This imports an analysis configuration containing the existing reference, manifest and calibration context. Compatibility is checked against this sample. It does not estimate calibration from this sample alone.

Step 1 of 5

Describe the MIC distribution from the data you have

Enter your MIC results

Import tables from your files or spreadsheet

Verify a received report

Which isolates do these results describe?

Which MIC concentrations were tested?

Category labels used in the analysis