Navigating Nomenclature in Patient Care: Taxonomy Considerations From the College of American Pathologists’ Microbiology Committee
Taxonomy classifies organisms based on shared traits, while nomenclature assigns formal names using distinct rules for bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. Advances in genomic sequencing have refined microbial classification, often prompting name changes that can inadvertently impact clinical practice, including patient diagnosis, treatment, and communication among healthcare providers. Various organizations govern taxonomy and nomenclature differently across pathogen domains, and implementation of new nomenclature in clinical settings poses challenges. The College of American Pathologists has introduced requirements for laboratories to maintain consistent nomenclature across testing platforms and to consider use of contemporary nomenclature. While scientific accuracy is important, practical considerations must guide the adoption of new names to avoid confusion and ensure high-quality patient care.
Authors
- Yvette S. McCarter
- Benjamin T. Bradley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8064-9314)
- Isabella W. Martin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7974-9767)
- Daniel D. Rhoads (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7636-5191)
- Alexander Pyden (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0602-0056)
- Nicholas M. Moore (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9734-8905)
- Jennifer Dien Bard (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0524-9473)
- Serena Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3356-4243)
- Kaede V. Sullivan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6654-5861)
- Christina Wojewoda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7761-4612)
- Marie‐Claire Rowlinson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3243-8475)
- Obianuju M Anelo
- Marc R Couturier
Institutions
- University of Southern California (US)
- Rush University Medical Center (US)
- Lahey Hospital and Medical Center (US)
- Cleveland Clinic (US)
- Florida Department of Health (US)
- Children's Hospital of Los Angeles (US)
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- University of New Mexico (US)
- University of Utah (US)
- Johns Hopkins Medicine (US)
- University of Florida Health (US)
- University of Vermont Medical Center (US)
- Jacksonville University (US)
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine (US)
- ARUP Laboratories (United States) (US)
- MaineHealth (US)
- Lahey Medical Center (US)
- Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center (US)
- Temple University Health System (US)
- Dartmouth Health (US)
- Case Western Reserve University (US)
- ARUP Laboratories (United States) (US)
- University of Florida Health Science Center (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Clinical Infectious Diseases
- Published
- 2025-09-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaf474
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Antifungal resistance and susceptibility
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.40