Culture and Sensitivity Sputum
Also known as Culture And Sensitivity Aerobic SputumWhat is this test?
Sputum culture and sensitivity is a technique predominantly used to test the sensitivity of the aerobic bacteria, which can infect lungs in the human body. This test is done on both males and females to find out whether the lungs are infected by a bacteria or not and to find the cause for lower respiratory tract infection.
What is Sputum?
Sputum is a mixture of saliva and mucus that is coughed up from the respiratory tract due to an infection in the lungs by a bacteria.
What are Bacteria, Aerobic Bacteria, and their types?
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.
Why this test is performed?
This test is performed to check if an individual's lungs are infected by an aerobic bacteria or not. This test may be recommended to you by a physician if you experience symptoms such as a dry cough, low-grade fever, sore throat, severe cough, headache, wheezing, chest pain, difficulty in breathing, chills, loss of appetite etc. This test is performed to identify the cause of bacterial pneumonia and lower respiratory tract infections.
This test also helps the doctors to plan the treatment according to the type of bacteria, that infects the lungs. The test is also recommended by a physician to check the effectiveness of the treatment.
Also known as C/S Aerobic Sputum, Culture Aerobic Sputum.
Test Preparation
Inform your doctor if you are on any medications, have any allergies or underlying medical conditions before your Culture and Sensitivity Sputum. Your doctor will give specific instructions depending on your condition on how to prepare for Culture and Sensitivity Sputum.
You may be instructed to rinse your mouth out with water prior to collection of the sputum and to avoid food for 1-2 hours before the sample is collected.
Understanding your test results
The test results may vary depending on age, health history, medical condition, etc.
If your test results are negative, then it may indicate that there are no signs of growth of aerobic bacteria.
If your test results are positive, then it may indicate there is a chance for growth of aerobic bacteria, which means that the lungs have been infected by an aerobic bacteria and also may be a bacterial pneumonia.
If abnormal test results were seen, 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 |