Culture for tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a serious infectious disease. It is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis mycobacteria) thatóre spread through the air by the droplet route when an infected person coughs, sneezes or mówi. However, the infection develops in only 5% of infected individualsób, who usually have additional risk factors (e.g., very young or advanced age, lowered immunity, presence of other diseasesób).

We can divide tuberculosis into:

• pulmonary – the bacteria attack only the lungs and cause a number of symptomsób from the respiratory system,
• pulmonary, disseminated – mycobacteria from the lungs spread to other parts of the body (bones, jointsós, kidneys and bladder, reproductive organsós, mózgu) and cause ailments affecting the entire body,
• active – when the patient's immune system is unable to control the infection, the bacteria multiply, and the symptoms are pronounced and severely aggravated,
• hidden – when the body controls the infection and there are no symptoms, but the bacteria cannot be completely eliminated and may attack when the body becomes weakened.

Tuberculosis is a major public health problem, posing a threat especially in areas with high population densities, poor sanitation and a wide spread of drug-resistant strains of bacteria. In these countries, early detection of infection and inhibition of the spread of infection are particularlyólly important. Each case of confirmed tuberculosis should be monitored, reported to the relevant services and treated at specialized centers.

Additionally, in countries with a lower incidence of the disease, it is particularly important to recognize latent tuberculosis in peopleób at high risk of severe disease. This makes it possible to implement management thatóre prevents reactivation of the infection to the active form and protects the patient from complications.

One of the primary meansóof diagnosing tuberculosis is sputum (expectorated secretions) culture. However, it can take up to 6-8 weeks to rule out infection using standard culture. For this reason, new rapid culture methods have been developedóre able to provide a result in just a few days. They are based on automatic culture systems, whichóre thanks to the use of special substrates containing markers (radioactive, fluorescent), allow early detection of proliferating bacteria.

When to perform a rapid culture for tuberculosis?

The rapid culture for tuberculosis is ordered to confirm or exclude tuberculosis, that is, to determine the presence or absence of mycobacteria in the body. It is used in peopleób with its characteristic symptoms, in whom the suspicion of the disease is strong.

Specifically, it is recommended to perform a rapid culture before the standard one when:

• an expeditious decision on isolation of the patient is required,
• the person may be infected with bacteria other than TB bacteria, which affects the choiceór of treatment,
• the person with suspected TB has been in contact with people at risk of severe infection, who will require intensive care if exposed,
• the patient is in a serious condition and treatment should be started as soon as possible.

Both rapid and standard culture can be preceded by microscopic and genetic testing of the prób, the results of which are usually ready within 24 hours.

However, both positive and negative results should always be confirmed by mycobacterial culture methods.

Who should perform a rapid culture for tuberculosis?

Persons with symptoms that may suggest a diagnosis of tuberculosis:

• long-term weakness, decreased appetite and weight
• night sweats, subfebrile states
• spiration, chest pain
• long-lasting dry cough, hemoptysis
• enlargement of lymph nodes
• bóle of bones and joints
• bóle of the abdomen, diarrhea, blood in the stool
• ból when urinating, blood in urine

Fast culture for tuberculosis norm

• negative culture (-)

Means that no proliferation of mycobacteriaów&ndash was observed on the culture plate; additional tests should be performed to rule out infection by other bacteria causing respiratory symptoms. If necessary or if there is doubt about the reliability of the result, the test can be repeated several times.

• Positive culture (+)

Means that mycobacterial proliferation was observed on the culture plate–indicating a probable diagnosis of active tuberculosis. The result of the test can be further confirmed by performing a standard culture, during which thereós also the possibility of determining the sensitivity of bacteria to anti-tuberculosis drugs.