Culture & Sensitivity - Conjunctival Swab
Conjunctivitis is the inflammation of the eyes, also known as pink eye, which can be caused due to harmful pathogens like bacteria, fungus, and/or other microorganisms. A conjunctival swab test is examined from the site of infected regions (for suspected pathology) of the eyes (conjunctival sample specimen is collected for culture and sensitivity) and also to detect any damage in the cornea. Culture & Sensitivity test (performed in the laboratory to examine for any microbial growth in the given sample specimen such as blood, urine, CSF, etc) in the blood/urine is done that helps to investigate for any growth of foreign pathogens (external microbes) like bacteria and other microorganisms present in the blood (any given sample specimen). Hence this laboratory test is ordered as a key test to detect any infection in suspected pathologies like fever – eg. Fever of unknown origin (related clinical manifestation).
Culture & Sensitivity: Conjunctival Swab:
Why Culture and Sensitivity (Conjunctival Swab) Test?
CLINICAL INFORMATION
Staphylococcal infection (caused by gram-positive bacteria) is the major bacterial pathogen affecting the eye involved in staphyloma. Some common diseases of the eye include conjunctivitis (also referred to as pink eye is common in children and elderly people), blepharitis, endophthalmitis, keratitis, dacryocystitis, orbital cellulitis, etc. Some of the common clinical manifestations include red eye, excessive tears of eyes, thick yellow discharge, formation of crust around the eyes after a nap, burning and/or itchy eyes, etc. Conjunctivitis can be caused due to various reasons for eg. bacteria, viruses, allergies and excessive use of contact lenses, etc. Since conjunctivitis is highly contagious and moreover its treatment modalities of eye infection are strictly based on their identification of the causative organism, culture and sensitivity tests become mandatory. Culture and Sensitivity (Conjunctival Swab) test is used for isolation and identification of pathogenic microbes such as bacteria like staphyloma, fungi, and/ viral such as herpes viral infection etc. Several indications for taking swabs sample specimens for the identification of organisms from the conjunctiva and cornea are indicated in certain suspected infections like Neisseria gonorrhea infection, Chlamydia, etc. Conjunctival scraping and the cultures are frequently obtained if there is corneal involvement (especially when the central cornea is affected) or multiple keratitis lesion or corneal ulcer (2mm or larger) are present or in cases where anti-bacterial therapy is ineffective. Complications of untreated or chronic cases may lead to irreversible damage to the eye and can result in blindness. Other tests include tests on sample specimen like blood, urine, stool, etc, glucose, blood pressure, clinical assessment by an ophthalmologist using specialized optholmogical equipment such as slit lamp and binocular indirect ophthalmoscope, retinoscope and direct ophthalmoscope, keratometer, tonometer, etc.
General Instructions:
Sample Requirement: Specimen - Sample collected specimen collected from the infected region of the eyes. Test Preparation: None.
NOTE - Sample for specimen collections may vary based on the patient’s condition/cases according to the patient’s presenting complaints/signs or symptoms:
SPECIMEN REQUIREMENT (Special or Rare Cases) - As instructed and guided by Physician / Clinician / Pathologist / as per Laboratory’s requirements, according to procedures and protocols.
Sample Requirement: Specimen collected from the infected region of the eyes.
Test Preparation: None
This Multi-Specialty Clinical Referral Laboratory RT DIAGNOSTICS provides precise and accurate tests with an extensive range of testing services to the medical centers to help in the diagnosis and identification of pathology in the test specimens for infectious diseases and also to evaluate the function of organ systems of the patient. It prevents further complications and helps to stabilize and restore health to near normalcy at the earliest without delay.
