AFB C / S Test

Acid-fast Bacilli culture & smear test is one of the TB culture and sensitivity tests where the Mycobacterial infection is diagnosed on the blood sample. It is divided into two parts and if one is positive or anyone is positive then to know the complete infection the second one is done. However, in most of the cases first, the smear test is done followed by the culture blood test. It is prescribed when a person is having the symptoms of lingering, chronic cough that produces phlegm or sputum, sometimes with bloody streaks, fever, chills, unexplained weight loss and chest pain.

There is special preparation required for the test. You can eat the normal diet and drink anything you want. However, you should stay connected with your doctor before the test. The doctor should know the different medical conditions that you have and various medicines that you are taking. Based on that analysis, the particular instruction should be followed for an accurate result. Since it is a smear test then the sample can be your nasal fluid or blood sample, it depends on the location of the infection. A blood sample is preferable most of the time.

For AFB smear test, certain values may be followed. However, the final test can either be positive or negative. If the smear test negative then a NAAT test may be done. If that test is positive, then culture is performed to know the real infection reason. Based on these entire tests the final report is generated, and treatment is decided. If all NAAT, Smear and culture are negative, then it means that there is no infection due to AFB. If both Culture and Smear are positive, that means the infection is due to AFB and treatment is required.

The test procedure is simple when it comes to taking the blood and checking for both the smear test and the culture test. The blood sample is collected from the body and taken to the lab. With blood sample, the sample of the infectious area is also taken for a proper smear test. However, this step varies from lab to lab and depends on what type of infection and where the infection is. The specimen can be Sputum, Bronchial Washing, Pleural Fluid, Lung Tissue and blood. Once the specimen is collected, it is taken to the lab for further study.