The purpose of the disk diffusion susceptibility test (Kirby-Bauer test) is to determine the sensitivity or resistance of pathogenic aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria to various antimicrobial compounds in order to assist a physician in selecting treatment options for his or her patients. The pathogenic organism is grown on Mueller-Hinton agar in the presence of various antimicrobial impregnated filter paper disks. The presence or absence of growth around the disks is an indirect measure of the ability of that compound to inhibit that organism.
