why might a physician/doctor perform a Gram stain on a sample before prescribing an antibiotic?

Answer 1

Gram stains tell you the composition of a bacteria's covering. If it's gram-positive, the outside is lipo-polysaccharide. If it's gram-negative, it's protein. Based on the bacteria's shape and staining properties, you can start to identify your etiological agent.

When you have a few suspects in mind, you can pick the appropriate antibiotic. After all, some antibiotics won't work on gram-neg bacteria, and likewise others won't work on gram-poz bacteria.

It is important to pick the appropriate antibiotic to kill the infection. However in some cases, if you do use an antibiotic, it could cause the bacteria to release endotoxins, which can severely complicate the infection. If you identify your etiological agent, and it is one of these endotoxin producers, you should know not to apply antibiotics.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

A Gram stain is a fashion of figuring out particular styles of micro organism based on how the stain interacts with the cellular membranes of reported micro organism. by making use of confirming the presence of such micro organism a doctor can be certain no count number if or no longer the prescribing of antibiotics is needed and certain and which antibiotics to prescribe besides. it is incredibly significant in a time while further and further micro organism have become further and further proof against cures because of the mis-prescribing and over-prescribing of antibiotics.