Culture & Sensitivity, Aerobic, Throat swab- Conventional Identification & Automated AST on Vitek

Culture & Sensitivity, Aerobic, Throat Swab

Conventional Identification & Automated AST on VITEK

What is the test?
Throat Swab Culture & Sensitivity is a microbiological test used to detect aerobic bacterial pathogens present in a throat specimen. The laboratory first performs conventional culture and identification of significant organisms, followed by automated Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) using VITEK.

Why is it done?

• Persistent or recurrent sore throat
• Suspected bacterial throat infection
• Tonsillitis or pharyngitis
• Fever associated with throat infection
• To identify the causative bacterial organism
• To determine which antibiotics are likely to be effective

How is the test performed?

1. A throat swab is collected from the affected area using a sterile swab.
2. The specimen is cultured under appropriate aerobic conditions.
3. Suspected bacterial growth is evaluated using conventional microbiological identification methods.
4. The identified organism is tested against relevant antimicrobial agents using the VITEK automated AST system.
5. The report provides the organism identified and its antimicrobial susceptibility pattern.

What does the report show?

• Culture: Growth / No significant growth
• Organism identification: Bacterial species detected, when significant
• Antibiotic susceptibility: Sensitive, Intermediate, or Resistant, as applicable
• Final interpretation is provided by the microbiology laboratory.

Sample: Throat swab
Method: Conventional Identification + Automated AST on VITEK
Test category: Microbiology – Culture & Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing

Important: A positive culture does not always mean that antibiotic treatment is required. Results should be interpreted along with symptoms and clinical findings by the treating healthcare professional.