Culture And Sensitivity Aerobic Conjunctival Swab
What is this test?
This test helps in diagnosing the cause of conjunctivitis. The goal is to see if there is an aerobic infection present in the eye fluid (conjunctival fluid). For this test, a cotton swab is used to collect the conjunctival fluid. Your healthcare provider will pass a moistened swab two times or more over the lower conjunctiva avoiding eye line border and lashes and sends the swab to the laboratory.
What is conjunctivitis?
Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva. It is also known as pinkeye. The Conjunctiva is the thin layer that lies over the white part of the eye and lines the inside of the eyelid. Conjunctivitis is highly contagious. This can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, amoebas, parasites, dirt, pollen, smoke, pool chlorine, reaction to eye drops or contact lens, etc.
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 certain symptoms like the burning of the eyes, itchy eyes, sticky thick mucus-like discharge from the eyes, redness, slight blurring of the vision, etc. This test may be specially performed to check if the infection is due to aerobic bacteria or not, 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 Conjunctival Swab.
Test Preparation
No special preparation is needed for Culture And Sensitivity Aerobic Conjunctival Swab. Inform your doctor if you are on any medications or have any underlying medical conditions or allergies before undergoing Culture And Sensitivity Aerobic Conjunctival Swab. Your doctor depending on your condition will give specific instructions.
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 your eye.
If you get abnormal test results, consult your doctor immediately with your lab test reports.
| Gender | Age groups | Value |
| UNISEX | All age groups | The growth depends on the infecting organism. Clearing around the disc indicates organism is sensitive to antibiotic |