Culture And Sensitivity Automated Culture Blood

A blood sample may be cultured to test the sensitivity of the bacteria. This test helps in diagnosing the cause of bacteremia. The goal is to identify any infections that may be caused by bacteria in the blood. For this test, a sample of your blood is collected by your healthcare provider and sent to the laboratory for the culture.

What is Bacteremia?

Bacteremia is a blood infection caused by bacteria. It originates from a specific site in the body which is severely infected. This condition may be caused by both aerobic or anaerobic bacteria, fungal For example, urinary tract infection may spread from the urinary bladder to kidneys and from kidneys to blood. The symptoms of this condition include chills, fever, nausea, inflammation of any parts, less frequent urination, rapid breathing, increase in heart rate, confusion, etc.

What is 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.

Based on the type of environment used by the bacteria to survive, The bacteria are classified into two categories. They are aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Aerobic bacteria are the bacteria which can survive in the presence of oxygen only. In the absence of oxygen, aerobic bacteria cannot survive and die. Some of the aerobic bacteria are Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Nocardia, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis etc. Anaerobic bacteria are bacteria that can survive in the absence of oxygen. Some of the examples of anaerobic bacteria are Staphylococcus, E.Coli, Clostridium, Actinomyces, Acetobacterium, etc. The bacterial infections can range from superficial like skin to deep tissues like bone, Knowing the location and type of bacteria causing the infection can help in giving an effective treatment.

Why this test is performed?

This test may be recommended to you if you experience certain symptoms like chills, fever, nausea, inflammation of any parts, less frequent urination, rapid breathing, increase in heart rate, confusion, etc. This test may be specially performed to check if the infection is due to bacteria or not. This test is 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 bacteria.

If your test results show positive it may indicate that you may have a bacterial infection in your blood.

Please consult your doctor with your results for further advice or necessary instructions if any.