What is the use dilution and disk diffusion methods?

The use dilution method and disk diffusion method are two techniques for testing the efficacy of antimicrobial agents. The use dilution method involves exposing a series of test organisms to varying concentrations of an antimicrobial agent in a broth medium to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) that prevents bacterial growth. In contrast, the disk diffusion method, also known as the Kirby-Bauer test, entails placing antibiotic-impregnated paper disks on an agar plate inoculated with the test organism; the effectiveness is measured by the size of the zone of inhibition around the disks. Both methods are essential for assessing antibiotic susceptibility and guiding treatment decisions.