When is culture and sensitivity testing indicated

Specimens should be sent as soon as possible, as some organisms will not survive and others will be overgrown by more vigorous strains Wilson, ; Greenwood et al, If samples are not sent immediately they must be stored appropriately - some require storage at room temperature and others refrigeration.

For storage methods see local procedures, infection control teams, textbooks such as Lawrence and May or laboratory staff. However, a high count alone may not always indicate infection. It is questionable whether such wounds should be sampled Wilson, , as contamination and colonisation do not usually compromise healing. In fact benign bacteria may even help to avoid infection by preventing the ingress of pathological strains Selwyn, This should be stated on the form so only these bacteria are tested for and therefore the result will only indicate their presence or absence and sensitivities.

Flanagan M. London: Emap Healthcare. Greenwood, D. Bacteria usually grow quickly in a culture 2 days , while other types of organisms, such as a fungus, can take longer. A culture and sensitivity test may be done on many different body fluids, such as urine, mucus, blood, pus, saliva, breast milk, spinal fluid, or discharge from the vagina or penis.

Author: Healthwise Staff. Medical Review: Anne C. Bailey MD - Family Medicine. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health. Bacteria Culture Test. What is a bacteria culture test? What is it used for?

Throat Culture Used to diagnose or rule out strep throat Test procedure: Your health care provider will insert a special swab into your mouth to take a sample from the back of the throat and tonsils. Urine Culture Used to diagnose a urinary tract infection and identify the bacteria causing the infection Test procedure: You will provide a sterile sample of urine in a cup, as instructed by your health care provider.

Sputum Culture Sputum is a thick mucus that is coughed up from the lungs. It is different from spit or saliva. Used to help diagnose bacterial infections in the respiratory tract. These include bacterial pneumonia and bronchitis. Test procedure: You may be asked to cough up sputum into a special cup as instructed by your provider; or a special swab may be used to take a sample from your nose.

Blood Culture Used to detect the presence of bacteria or fungi in the blood Test procedure: A health care professional will need a blood sample. The sample is most often taken from a vein in your arm. Stool Culture Another name for stool is feces. Used to detect infections caused by bacteria or parasites in the digestive system. These include food poisoning and other digestive illnesses. Mid-Stream Urine not at the beginning and not at the end should be collected. Ensure proper care to clean the genitals before collection.

Do not urinate for at least one hour before the test and drink a glass of water minutes before sample collection. No special preparation is required for the Urine test. You just need to make sure that you are empty stomach and filled with water. At least have glasses of water 10 mins before the test.

Make sure that the urine sample collected is the mid-stream urine sample and not the one from the beginning or ending to get proper results. Inference: Urine is normally sterile. However, in the process of collecting the urine, some contamination from skin bacteria may accour. For counts between 10, and ,, the culture is indeterminate. Urine Culture and Sensitivity test are done when there is an observation of painful urine excretion, and this test is done to detect any micro-organisms in the body and to eradicate them.

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