What is CSF? How is bacteria infection detected in CSF?

Question

Please give me a short and specific answer. Dont give me long essays answer. thanks

Answer 1

Generally, if the Cerebro Spinal Fluid is infected, by say bacteria, there are several tests you can do.
The CSF may appear yellow and/or cloudy instead of clear and water like.
Serum and CSF glucose - normally CSF glucose is about 60-70 % of serum glucose. If there is an infection, glucose will be used up by the bacteria, so CSF glucose will decrease sharply.

CSF protein - normally quite low, it increases due to the presence of bacterial protein, white cells and immunoglobulins.

White cells - normally they are not present in CSF, this is what causes the cloudiness mentioned earlier. If they are there, they are fighting infection. If they are neutrophils, there is generally a bacterial infection, if they are lymphocytes there is generally a viral infection.

That's about as short as I can get and still be specific.

Answer 2

CSF is the Cerebral Spinal Fluid, the bacteria infection is detected by the laboratory results. i have researced in the wikepdia.com Cerebrospinal fluid can be tested for the diagnosis of a variety of neurological diseases. It is usually obtained by a procedure called lumbar puncture in an attempt to count the cells in the fluid and to detect the levels of protein and glucose. These parameters alone may be extremely beneficial in the diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage and central nervous system infections (such as meningitis). Moreover, a cerebrospinal fluid culture examination may yield the microorganism that has caused the infection. By using more sophisticated methods, such as the detection of the oligoclonal bands, an ongoing inflammatory condition (for example, multiple sclerosis) can be recognized. A beta-2 transferrin assay is highly specific and sensitive for the detection for e.g. cerebrospinal fluid leakage.

Lumbar puncture can also be performed to measure the intracranial pressure, which might be increased in certain types of hydrocephalus.


and also if you will look in the pathology of the CSF it is connected in lymphatic system where also our immune defenses are connected, so if there would be bacterial infection it would be altered.

Answer 3

CSF is Cerebrospinal Fluids.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is usually used in detection of bacteria in Cerebrospinal Fluids.