Culture and Sensitivity Pleural Fluid

This test helps in diagnosing the cause of the accumulation of fluid in the chest (pleural effusion). This test is performed on the pleural fluid collected by your healthcare provider. If there is a growth of bacteria in the culture, then it indicates that the pleural fluid is infected with aerobic bacteria

What is Pleural fluid?

The space between the chest wall and lungs is called the pleural cavity, the pleural cavity is made of two pleura called as the outer pleura or parietal pleura and inner or visceral pleura. The space between these pleura is filled by a small amount of fluid also called the pleural fluid. The pleural fluid lubricates the lungs and prevents the friction between the chest wall and lungs. The volume and composition of pleural fluid may change due to an imbalance of pressure of liquid between the blood vessels (Cirrhosis, heart failure), pancreatic diseases or disorders, cancers (lung and pancreatic cancers), infections (Pneumonia, tuberculosis), autoimmune disorders etc.

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, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis etc.

Why this test is performed?

This test may be recommended to you if your chest X-ray shows that you have fluid in the pleural region. This test is also recommended to you if you experience symptoms like difficulty in breathing, shortness of breath, chest pain, difficulty in breathing while lying down, persistent hiccups, fever, dry cough, difficulty in physical activity, 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 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 pleural region.

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