Use of the lab in diagnosis of infection Flashcards
What are the best kind of specimens to send to the lab to guide diagnosis?
Tissue, fluid or aspirate
When is a swab an appropriate specimen for diagnosis in the lab?
What kind of swab?
Diagnosing a virus Viral swab (green top)
What is a yellow top swab appropriate for?
Serology
Once the specimen has been taken what is needed next?
Label and process it quickly
What appropriate clinical information is required on the label?
Biohazard sticker if the patient is suspected to be highly contagious
Date and time of sample and patient location
requestor name, consultant and contact details
investigations required
Presenting complaint
Comorbitities
Allergies
Current and past treatments
When the specimen reaches the lab who does it go through
Received, registered and processed by health care science assistants
Examination testing performed by biomedical scientist
Validation of examination performed by medical practitioner specialising in microbiology
How long will it take for the tests to come back?
Check the Newcastle intranet and find the turnaround time
Specimen rejection criteria
Minimum essential information is missing in sample or request form
Sample and request form information do not match
Sample is unlabelled or unsuitable (wrong tube)
Bacterial culture process
Inoculation
Incubation
reading agar plates
identification
Fastidious organism
Organism with complex nutritional needs
Antibiotic susceptibility testing process
Inoculation, incubation, realign agar plates (clear area around the antibiotic sample), interpretation
List 4 others tests done in a lab other than bacterial culture and antibiotic susceptibility?
Serology (HIV hepatitis virus)
Mycobacteriology (TB)
Mycology (fungal infections)
Molecular diagnostics (herpes virus PCR)
