How long does it take to get results from a culture and sensitivity test?

Question

I know some reports of a C&S come back within a couple of days. How long do they continue to work with a specimum before it is considered completely finished?

Answer 1

I think its 7 to 10 business days. It also depends on when your doctor is in the office and gets the information. If your in the hospital it would be alot less.

Answer 2

Culture Sensitivity Test

Answer 3

Culture And Sensitivity Results

Answer 4

It depends on what bacterium is isolated.
Most bacterial infections are caused by organisms that will usually grow overnight. The following day, if sensitivity tests are done, that will usually take another night. So in 2 days, probably at least 95% of specimens are finished with.
This also depends on the Gram stain. If something is seen that looks important, and has not grown on culture after 2 days, then the plates may be incubated for a week or more, until it's fairly certain that the organism is not going to grow, or until it does grow. If a slow-growing organism needs sensitivities, then that may be several more days after that.
If the Gram stain shows lots of pus cells and no organisms, then it's usually required to leave plates incubating for at least a week, and in some cases, to do a stain for mycobacteria, which are often not visible in a Gram stain. If a mycobacterial culture is required, this can take many weeks and practically speaking, the culture is not discarded until the end of 12 weeks, as some of them are very slow-growing. There are now several, faster, molecular methods available for some.

Answer 5

to be considered totally negative, blood cultures take 5 days, CSF 2-3 days, and urine in 24hrs. obviously they only do a sensitivity if they grow an organism. it basically depends on the site where they obtain the specimen that determines how long they attempt to grow it.

Answer 6

Statistics can prove anything.
There are too many overlooked variables in every, I mean, EVERY, test, study, poll, ect. that even if results take months, perhaps even years to calculate the never quite live up to expectations of all parties involved.

Answer 7

24 hours should be adequate in well run lab. A few slow growing organisms may take longer.

Answer 8

Two weeks.