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Culture & Sensitivity, Aerobic bacteria Sputum(Vitek 2 Compact)
Bacterial/ Viral
Report in 72Hrs
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No Fasting Required
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Identifies bacteria & antibiotic susceptibility.
₹1,036₹1,480
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Culture & Sensitivity Aerobic bacteria Sputum (Vitek 2 Compact)
- Why is it done?
- Identifies aerobic bacterial pathogens present in respiratory secretions (sputum samples) that may be causing respiratory tract infections
- Determines antibiotic susceptibility patterns of isolated bacteria to guide targeted antimicrobial therapy
- Evaluates patients with suspected lower respiratory tract infections including pneumonia, acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, and bronchiectasis
- Monitors immunocompromised patients (HIV/AIDS, post-transplant) with respiratory symptoms
- Assists in infection control surveillance and tracking of nosocomial pathogens in hospitalized patients
- Typically ordered when patients present with productive cough, fever, dyspnea, or suspected respiratory infection not responding to empiric therapy
- Normal Range
- Negative/No Growth: Absence of pathogenic aerobic bacteria; indicates either absence of infection or successful treatment
- Normal Flora/Commensal Organisms: Light to moderate growth of normal upper respiratory flora (alpha-hemolytic streptococci, Neisseria species, diphtheroids) is typical and generally not clinically significant
- Colony Count: Results typically reported as quantitative (colonies per milliliter) or semi-quantitative (rare, few, moderate, heavy growth) to assess clinical significance
- Interpretation Units: Reported as Colony Forming Units per milliliter (CFU/mL) or visual assessment of growth (1+, 2+, 3+, 4+)
- Normal Result: No growth of pathogenic bacteria or light growth of common respiratory flora; negative sensitivity results for all tested antibiotics indicate normal/non-resistant organism behavior
- Abnormal Result: Heavy/predominant growth of single pathogenic organism or multiple organisms; presence of resistant patterns (multidrug-resistant) indicates active infection requiring intervention
- Interpretation
- No Growth/Negative Culture: Indicates absence of pathogenic aerobic bacteria; suggests non-bacterial etiology (viral, fungal, atypical organisms), adequate specimen quality with proper collection, or successful antimicrobial therapy
- Positive Growth with Single Organism: Suggests true respiratory tract infection; organism identified is likely pathogenic especially if isolated in heavy growth with symptomatic patient; Vitek 2 system provides rapid identification and generates susceptibility report within 4-18 hours
- Multiple Organisms: May represent contamination from upper respiratory tract flora, polymicrobial infection, or poor specimen quality; clinical correlation and repeat sampling may be warranted
- Susceptibility Interpretation: Results reported as Susceptible (S), Intermediate (I), or Resistant (R) based on EUCAST/CLSI standards; S indicates organism likely responds to standard doses; I suggests reduced susceptibility requiring higher doses or combination therapy; R indicates organism unlikely to respond, necessitating alternative antibiotics
- Multidrug-Resistant Organisms: Presence of MRSA, ESBL-producing Gram-negatives, or Pseudomonas with fluoroquinolone/carbapenem resistance requires immediate clinical attention and isolation precautions
- Factors Affecting Results:
- Prior antibiotic exposure reduces culture positivity and may select for resistant organisms; specimen contamination with saliva affects interpretation; timing of collection relative to symptom onset; immunocompromised status may alter bacterial patterns; mechanical ventilation associated with different microbiota
- Associated Organs
- Primary Organ Systems:
- Lower respiratory tract (lungs, bronchi, terminal bronchioles, alveoli); trachea and upper respiratory tract as source material collection site
- Diseases/Conditions Commonly Associated with Abnormal Results:
- Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP): Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, atypical organisms
- Hospital-Acquired/Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (HAP/VAP): Pseudomonas aeruginosa, MRSA, Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterobacteriaceae species
- Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Bronchitis: Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis
- Cystic Fibrosis with Chronic Colonization: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cepacia, Staphylococcus aureus
- Immunocompromised-Associated Infections: Gram-negative organisms, fungal infections (requires separate fungal culture)
- Bronchiectasis: Chronic Pseudomonas infection, nontuberculous mycobacteria
- Potential Complications/Risks Associated with Abnormal Results:
- Sepsis and systemic inflammatory response if untreated; respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation; chronic lung damage in recurrent infections; disseminated infection in immunocompromised patients; treatment failure if resistant organisms not identified promptly; iatrogenic complications from unnecessary antimicrobial therapy for contaminants
- Follow-up Tests
- Additional Tests Based on Positive Culture Results:
- Extended resistance testing for multidrug-resistant organisms (MRSA, ESBL-producers) including testing against reserve antibiotics (fluoroquinolones, carbapenems, tigecycline)
- Fungal culture and susceptibility if clinical suspicion remains high or immunocompromised patient with negative aerobic culture
- Mycobacterial culture (AFB smear and culture) if clinical presentation suggests TB or atypical mycobacterial infection
- Repeat sputum culture if inadequate specimen or suspected contamination; follow-up culture post-treatment to assess cure
- Further Investigations:
- Chest X-ray or CT imaging to assess extent of pneumonia and complications; blood culture if sepsis suspected; gram stain and microscopy for additional organism morphology information
- Monitoring Frequency:
- Initial culture within 48-72 hours of symptom onset for acute infections; follow-up cultures typically performed 1-2 weeks post-treatment completion to document eradication; ongoing surveillance cultures for chronic infections (CF, bronchiectasis) typically quarterly to semi-annually; more frequent monitoring in immunocompromised patients or those with resistant organisms
- Related/Complementary Tests:
- Respiratory viral panel (PCR) to exclude viral co-infection; Legionella culture/antigen if specific epidemiology; sputum Gram stain for rapid bacterial morphology assessment; molecular respiratory pathogen testing for rapid identification; serology for atypical organisms (Chlamydophila, Mycoplasma)
- Fasting Required?
- Fasting Required: No
- Patient Preparation Requirements:
- No fasting required; specimen collection is based on clinical need, not metabolic status; patient should expectorate lower respiratory secretions (not saliva); rinse mouth with water prior to collection to minimize contamination from oral flora
- Special Instructions:
- Obtain sputum specimen early morning (preferably first morning expectoration after sleep) when secretions are more concentrated; patient should deep cough to produce lower airway secretions; minimum 1 mL of sputum required; specimen should be expectorated into sterile, leak-proof container; avoid contamination with saliva or food particles
- Medications:
- No medications need to be held; however, note current or recent antibiotic use on requisition as prior antibiotic therapy reduces culture positivity and may select resistant organisms; cough suppressants should be avoided prior to specimen collection to facilitate productive cough
- Specimen Collection Timing:
- Specimen should be collected promptly when respiratory infection is suspected (within 48-72 hours of symptom onset optimal); transport to laboratory immediately (within 2 hours if possible); if delay unavoidable, refrigerate specimen at 2-8°C; room temperature delays promote overgrowth of contaminating flora
How our test process works!
