Culture & Sensitivity, Aerobic Bacteria Pus in Dehradun

What is a Culture & Sensitivity, Aerobic Bacteria Pus?

A pus culture grows the bacteria present in wound discharge or an abscess and then tests a panel of antibiotics against the specific organism recovered. It answers two questions no rapid test can: which organism is actually there, and which drugs will work against this particular isolate. That second answer matters increasingly, because antibiotic resistance among wound organisms is common in India and rising, and the usual first-choice antibiotic frequently fails against a resistant Staphylococcus or a Gram-negative organism picked up in hospital. The culture is normally paired with a Gram stain from the same sample, which reports within hours and guides the first empirical antibiotic while the culture is still growing; the culture then confirms or corrects that choice after 48 to 72 hours. Sampling technique determines how useful the result is. Pus aspirated from the depth of an abscess, or a swab taken from the base of a cleaned wound, reflects the infection. A swab wiped across the surface of an old dressing largely reports skin colonisers and misleads everyone who reads it.

Why take this test?

A pus culture is advised for a wound that is not healing, that is spreading redness, warmth or swelling, that is discharging pus or smells offensive, or that is accompanied by fever. It is important in diabetic foot infections, where organisms are frequently mixed and resistant and where the consequences of getting the antibiotic wrong are severe, and in post-operative wound infections, burns, abscesses, and any infection that has failed to settle on an empirical antibiotic already tried. It is also used for chronic ulcers and infected surgical sites before deciding on definitive treatment. Collect the sample before antibiotics start where possible. Note that a culture identifies the organism but does not treat the problem: an abscess generally needs drainage, and antibiotics alone rarely resolve a collection of pus, which is why a doctor should see the wound rather than simply prescribing on a report.

• A wound that is not healing, or spreading redness and swelling
• Pus discharge, offensive smell, or fever with a wound
• Diabetic foot infection
• Post-operative wound infection or infected surgical site
• An abscess, burn or chronic ulcer
• Infection that has failed to settle on an empirical antibiotic

FAQs: Culture & Sensitivity, Aerobic Bacteria Pus in Dehradun