Culture And Sensitivity Aerobic Breast Milk
What is this test?
Breast milk may be cultured to test the sensitivity of the bacteria. This test helps in diagnosing infection in breast milk. The goal is to see if there is an aerobic infection present in breast milk. Mother’s milk is expressed and sent to the laboratory for the culture and sensitivity.
What are Bacteria, and Aerobic Bacteria?
Bacteria are the single-celled micro-organisms that can live within the soil, in the ocean and also inside the human gut. They have a number of shapes such as spirals, rods, and spheres etc. Some bacteria can cause illness to the human body and some other plays a major role in the overall functioning of our ecosystem.
Aerobic bacteria are the bacteria which can survive in the presence of oxygen only. In the absence of oxygen, aerobic bacteria cannot survive and can die. Some of the aerobic bacteria are Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Nocardia, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis etc.
What is breastmilk infection?
Infection in the breast is called mastitis. It is an infection that occurs within the tissue of the breast. Breast infections are most common in women who are breastfeeding. The bacteria from the baby’s mouth enters and causes infection of the breasts. This is also known as lactation mastitis. This infection attacks the fatty tissue in the breast which leads to swelling, lumps, pain, etc. A breast infection is also due to clogged milk ducts. Cracked nipples may also cause breast infection.
Why this test is performed?
This test may be recommended to you if you experience symptoms like abnormally swollen breasts, tenderness of breast, pain or burning while breastfeeding, itching, chills, nipple discharge that contains pus, warm breast, painful lump in the breast, skin redness, fever, discomfort, enlarged lymph nodes in the armpits or neck region, etc. This test may be specially performed to check if the infection is due to aerobic bacteria or not. This test is also recommended to plan the treatment according to the type of bacteria. The test is also recommended to check the effectiveness of the treatment given.
Also known as C/S Aerobic Breast Milk.
Test Preparation
Inform your doctor if you are on any medications, have any allergies or underlying medical conditions before your Culture And Sensitivity Aerobic Breast Milk. Your doctor will give specific instructions depending on your condition on how to prepare for Culture And Sensitivity Aerobic Breast Milk.
No specific preparation is required for this test.
Understanding your test results
The normal test results may vary depending on age, health history, medical condition, etc.
If your test results show negative it means there is no growth of aerobic bacteria.
If your test results show positive it may indicate that you may have aerobic bacterial infection in the breast milk.
If you get abnormal test results, consult your doctor immediately with your lab test reports.
| Gender | Age groups | Value |
| FEMALE | All age groups | The growth depends on the infecting organism. Clearing around the disc indicates organism is sensitive to antibiotic |