Culture And Sensitivity Aerobic Cervical Swab
What is this test?
This test is used to collect and identify bacterial infections in the cervical region. Cervical infections may often be of bacterial or fungal in origin and the swab culture is useful in identifying the type of bacteria/ fungus causing the infection to provide the appropriate treatment. The method involves collecting a small amount of sample from the inner regions of the cervix with a sterile cotton swab and taken for further testing.
What are culture and sensitivity testing?
In laboratories, the bacteria are often grown with the help of growth media (nutrient preparation which acts as a source of food for the bacteria). The grown bacteria is observed under a microscope to identify the type of bacteria. The process is called as bacterial culturing. The bacterial culturing is often used in the field of medicine to identify the species of bacteria causing the infection and to know what kind of medicines are effective in killing the bacteria and planning the treatment accordingly.
What are Bacteria, and Aerobic Bacteria:
Bacteria are the single-celled microorganisms 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.
Why this test is performed?
This test may be recommended to you if you experience symptoms like vaginal discharge with or without odor or a color change, itching or irritation at the vagina, swelling in the vaginal area, burning sensation during urination, pain or discomfort during intercourse, pelvic pain, sores or lesions on your genitalia, fever, etc. This test is also preferred in diabetic conditions because diabetic women are more prone to infections. This test may be specially performed to check if the infection is caused by aerobic bacteria or not. This test is also recommended to plan the treatment according to the type of bacteria and to check the effectiveness of the treatment given.
Also known as C/S Aerobic Cervical Swab.
Test Preparation
Inform your doctor if you are on any medications, have any allergies or underlying medical conditions before your Culture And Sensitivity Aerobic Cervical Swab. Your doctor will give specific instructions depending on your condition on how to prepare for Culture And Sensitivity Aerobic Cervical Swab.
For this test, your doctor may ask you to avoid douching for 24 hours before the test. Sometimes it is also recommended not to have intercourse for at least a few days prior to the test. Also, avoid having any vaginal medication prior to the test.
Understanding your test results
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 cervical region.
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 |