Culture And Sensitivity Aerobic Endotracheal Secretion Swab

This test is used to identify and treat the bacteria causing the infection. The method used to collect the sample of the internal secretions of the trachea is called endotracheal swab. This test helps in diagnosing both aerobic and anaerobic infections. These tracheal secretions are collected through an endotracheal tube. In this procedure, the swab is carefully introduced into the endotracheal tube. Using gentle pressure and circular motion, the inner surface of the trachea is swabbed to collect the sample and sent for further analysis.

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.

What is bacterial tracheitis?

The trachea is also known as the windpipe and is an important part of your body’s airway system. When the air is inhaled through the nose it travels through the larynx (voice box) and down the trachea. Tracheitis is an infection of trachea caused by bacteria which may be aerobic or anaerobic. The infection caused by bacteria is called bacterial tracheitis and is known to affect children. If not treated early, this infection may lead to life-threatening complications.

Why this test is recommended?

This test is recommended if an individual is experiencing certain symptoms of tracheitis like cold, cough, and low-grade fever, infection and airway obstruction like high fever, nasal flaring, wheezing, cyanosis (a blue tinge on the skin), difficulty in breathing, deep severe cough, etc.

This test may be specially performed to check if the infection is caused by to aerobic bacteria or not, to plan the treatment according to the type of bacteria and to check the effectiveness of the treatment given.

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 upper respiratory tract.

If you get abnormal test results, consult your doctor immediately with your lab test reports.