Specimen culture

Specimen cultures are tests to diagnose the cause of an infection, particularly if the symptoms are fever, diarrhoea, cough, and breathlessness. These tests involve placing specimens, e.g. urine, stool, blood, a swab, and sputum onto a special culture medium or plates that allow any infecting organisms (such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi) to grow. If a bacterium is grown, the sensitivity of the organism can then be tested against various antibiotics to determine the right treatment. Apart from bodily fluids, other specimens that can be sent for culture include tissue samples obtained by biopsy.

Many infections can occur in HIV infection. Identification of a causative agent is essential to ensure a correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Sometimes it can be very difficult to identify the cause of a problem; multiple specimens and types of specimens taken over time from different areas may be required before the laboratory can culture the organism responsible.