Our microbiology laboratory finds the organism causing an infection and works out which antibiotics act on it. We test blood, urine, pus and sputum, and we test blood for the antibodies the body makes against an infection. A culture report takes a few days, because the organism has to grow before it can be identified.
Our consultant microbiologist works within our 24-hour laboratory, which also covers biochemistry, haematology, clinical pathology, serology and cytopathology. The same team tracks infection control in our wards: which organisms are circulating, and which antibiotics are losing their effect against them.
Services and procedures
- Culture: a sample of blood, urine, pus or sputum is grown until the organism can be identified
- Antibiotic sensitivity: the organism is tested against a panel of antibiotics to find the ones that act on it
- Serology: blood is tested for antibodies against an infection, including several fevers common in Bihar
- Infection control: tracking which organisms are circulating in our wards and which antibiotics still work against them
- Sample collection, with reports returned to the consultant who ordered the test
