What a smear (culture) from the throat and nose shows for microflora and sensitivity to antibiotics, transcript. Culture of upper respiratory tract secretions for microflora, determination of sensitivity to antimicrobial drugs and bacteriophages (Upper Respiratory

If a person is diagnosed mild inflammation, the doctor may not take a nasopharyngeal swab. In advanced cases, collection of material is required to determine the etiology of the infection.

Analysis of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract - what is it and why is it needed?

A nasal and throat swab is one type laboratory research. A bacteriological analysis is taken to identify the bacteria that caused the infectious process.

Culture for bacteria is carried out in the following cases:

Suspicion of nasal diphtheria (cultures are taken in the morning for three days).
The presence of sore throat with plaque (the analysis is taken once).
Diagnosed stenosing laryngotracheitis, mononucleosis due to infection, purulent formation near the tonsils (single smear).
Upon contact with an infectious patient.
Upon admission to kindergarten or a general education institution.
For tuberculosis and the presence of lesions of the nervous system.

There are indications for studying material taken from the throat and nose. If you have a frequent runny nose or sore throat, a swab of the nasal passages and throat is always prescribed. This type of analysis allows a specialist to determine the type of microbes and bacteria inhabiting the human nasopharynx. If the DNA of the pathogen is identified correctly, then treatment will be prescribed adequately.

Taking a smear is necessary if there is a suspicion of pathological processes caused by infection. For example, diphtheria or whooping cough. For a sore throat, a smear is taken from the back wall of the throat and tonsils.

The analysis is carried out to determine the sensitivity of organisms to antibiotics.

Getting ready to collect material

To obtain the correct indicators after taking a swab from the throat for microflora, you need to avoid the use of solutions and nasal ointments containing antibiotics several days before collecting the material. Application medicines before taking the test may affect the reliability of the results. On the day of the test, it is not recommended to brush your teeth or eat.

Before taking a nasal test for pathogenic flora, you must stop taking antibiotics two weeks before the procedure.

To take a smear, a specialist treats the skin of the nasal sinuses with alcohol (70%). For the procedure you will need one sterile swab. It is inserted first into one nostril 1 cm, then into the other, while turning the instrument.

How to take a nasopharyngeal swab

A gauze roll is screwed onto a light metal stick, then lowered into the flask. The swab for collecting material must be sterile.

A nasal swab for eosinophils is done on an empty stomach. If a person does eat, at least two hours should pass after eating. After eating, the material is removed using a spatula, which will cover the area in contact with food (teeth, tongue, inner side oral cavity).

Before taking a nasal swab, you need to blow your nose and remove any rough crusts. The tampon is inserted into each sinus, while tightly touching all its walls.

The resulting material should be immediately sown onto a dense surface and applied to a glass square. The specialist dries the analysis, then sends it to the laboratory for study.

The procedure does not cause pain, but is quite unpleasant, because touching the sensitive areas of the throat with a tampon often provokes vomiting.

What can be found when examining a nasopharyngeal smear

Materials obtained from the nose and throat are sent to several studies:

Rapid antigen test (sensitive to bacterial particles). Used when group A streptococcus is suspected. Considered an accurate and sensitive test. Test results are ready in 30 minutes.

Sowing. In this study, mucus particles are transferred to a nutrient medium, which promotes the growth of bacteria. The test shows the type of foreign microbe. Also determines sensitivity to antibiotics. This point is important if there is no effect from standard treatment.

PCR analysis. Allows you to find out the types of microorganisms that have colonized the throat and nose. This is detected using the DNA present in the mucus.

Organisms found in throat and nasal swabs include:

Hemolytic streptococci;
Pneumococci;
Staphylococcus aureus;
Corynobacter diphtheria;
Haemophilus influenzae;
Meningococcus;
Listeria.

In almost all cases, it is impossible to detect the disease unless you take a smear of the flora from the nose and throat. The quantitative ratio of microorganisms means that the tests are normal.

If, as a result of the study, pathogenic microbial agents are detected, this signals the development infectious inflammation. Based on the results of the analysis and the nature of the disease, the doctor may additionally prescribe a smear from the genitals and ureter.

Treatment to eliminate pathogens from the nose and throat

Often, discomfort in the nasopharynx is relieved with the help of bacteriophages produced in the form of a spray or solution, for example, Chlorophyllipt.

Chlorophyllipt also exists on an oil and alcohol basis. The oil version of the drug is intended to lubricate the sinuses and tonsils. It is good because it can be used by small children and women in an interesting position. The alcohol composition is used to wash the throat and nose.

Often anaerobic bacteria in the nasopharynx are removed traditional methods. For example, a collection that contains herbs such as:

Mint;
Hawthorn;
Coltsfoot;
Rose hip.

Herbal medicine is considered effective way eliminate discomfort in the nose and throat area. This technique is allowed during pregnancy because it is natural and safe treatment. The first results are usually felt a few days after starting treatment herbal collection. Since anaerobic infections in the nasopharynx are persistent, treatment with herbal medicine should last at least three weeks.

To correctly collect samples from the top respiratory tract, you need to follow the preparation rules, then there will be no difficulties in treating the identified disease. Any discomfort in the nasopharynx cannot be ignored, since even a banal runny nose can turn into a serious pathological process, the consequences of which can be sad.

Useful video on the topic of whether staphylococcus in the nose is dangerous during pregnancy

A throat swab gives an idea of the composition of the microflora of the oropharynx. The doctor, having assessed the quantitative composition of microbes, can confirm the infectious origin of the disease. Culture indicates not only the type of microorganisms, but also allows you to determine the antibiogram. Based on the results of the tank study, he prescribes antibacterial drugs that will be most effective in this case.

TEST: Find out what's wrong with your throat

Have you ever had elevated temperature body on the first day of illness (on the first day of symptoms)?

In connection with a sore throat you:

How often for Lately(6-12 months) Are you experiencing similar symptoms (sore throat)?

Feel the neck area just below lower jaw. Your feelings:

At sharp increase temperature you consumed antipyretic drug(Ibuprofen, Paracetamol). After that:

What sensations do you experience when you open your mouth?

How would you rate the effect of throat lozenges and other topical painkillers (candies, sprays, etc.)?

Ask someone close to you to look down your throat. To do this, rinse your mouth clean water for 1-2 minutes, open your mouth wide. Your assistant should shine a flashlight on himself and look into the oral cavity by pressing the root of the tongue with a spoon.

On the first day of illness, you clearly feel an unpleasant putrid bite in your mouth and your loved ones can confirm the presence unpleasant odor from the oral cavity.

Can you say that in addition to a sore throat, you are bothered by a cough (more than 5 attacks per day)?

Why is smear diagnostics performed?

confirmation of the infectious origin of tonsillitis, sinusitis, meningitis, whooping cough and other diseases;
search Staphylococcus aureus, which causes purulent lesions skin(furunculosis, pyoderma);
to exclude diphtheria in the absence of Loeffler's bacillus in smears;
for the diagnosis of stenosing laryngitis, as well as mononucleosis.

For preventive purposes, taking a throat smear is indicated:

people who have had contact with a sick person to determine bacterial carriage;
when finding employment in the food industry, in medical and children's institutions;
children before visiting educational institutions, sports activities, swimming pools to prevent epidemics;
before hospitalization, in the preoperative period.

Pregnant women are required to undergo testing to determine their risk of developing infectious disease, as well as the occurrence of complications from the fetus.

Preparatory stage

In order for the analysis to provide the most accurate results, you must follow some recommendations. Preparation includes:

5 days before the examination, it is prohibited to take antibacterial drugs, which will allow the proliferation of pathogenic microbes to resume;
3 days before the diagnosis, the use of rinsing solutions, as well as spray with antiseptic effect. They reduce the number of pathogenic microbes, which makes diagnosis difficult;
a throat swab is performed on an empty stomach;
Before the study, chewing gum and drinks are prohibited, and brushing your teeth is undesirable.

Material collection process

You can make the process of taking a swab from the throat easier by following a certain algorithm of actions. The patient needs to tilt his head back slightly and open his mouth as much as possible to show the specialist the posterior pharyngeal wall.

The tongue is fixed with a spatula to the bottom of the mouth. A throat swab is taken with a sterile swab located at the end of an elongated loop. Take a smear carefully, without touching the swab to other surfaces of the oral cavity.

The collected material with a swab is placed in a test tube, after which it is transported to the laboratory within the first 90 minutes. The algorithm must be followed to obtain reliable research results.

When passing a sterile swab along the surface of the posterior pharyngeal wall, the patient may experience gagging, especially with a pronounced gag reflex.

Microscopy and culture

Microscopic examination is carried out before bacterial culture to determine the cellular composition in order to predict which colonies can grow on the nutrient medium.

Microscopy is performed by Gram staining, after which the cells are visualized under a microscope. Sowing is done on a specific medium, since each type of microorganism requires pH and humidity levels.

Sowing on flora ensures the growth of colonies, based on the shape and shade of which the type of microorganisms is established. The main task of culture media is to ensure respiration and nutrition of microbes for rapid growth and their reproduction.

The material is sown in sterile laboratory conditions in compliance with aseptic rules. Medical staff should not forget about protective equipment, as biological material can be extremely dangerous in terms of infection.

The culture results are assessed daily, but final conclusions are made a week later by analyzing the color, shape and other characteristics of the colonies.

Particular attention is paid to the antibiogram, which is performed by covering an area of grown colonies with circles soaked in an antibacterial agent. If pathogenic microbes are sensitive to a particular antibiotic, colony growth is inhibited. In cases where colonies grow under antibacterial effect, the drug is considered ineffective. Based on these results, the doctor prescribes antibiotic therapy to help cope with the disease.

Diagnostic results

What does a smear show? The flora of the mucous membrane consists of various microorganisms. A throat smear for microflora shows the number of pathogenic as well as opportunistic microbes. IN small quantity Pathogenic bacteria do not cause the development of the disease, like opportunistic bacteria. However, with a decrease immune defense body against the background of severe general hypothermia, exacerbation chronic pathology, colds or postoperative period opportunistic bacilli begin to multiply intensively, provoking the development of the disease.

Normally, infections such as streptococcus, E. coli or Neisseria can be part of the flora. This is considered a variant of the norm if their number does not exceed permissible norm, and also missing Clinical signs infectious disease.

It is worth noting that you should not undertake their destruction, since after the end of the reception antibacterial agents they repopulate part of the microflora of the mucous membranes.

When a doctor orders a test, he expects results to confirm the presence or absence of certain pathogens that may have caused the patient's symptoms.

The decoding of a throat smear includes the name of microorganisms, opposite which their number is indicated, which is expressed in special units. They became known as CFU/ml, which indicates the number of bacterial pathogens growing in one liter of nutrient medium. Abbreviated as CFU called a colony-forming unit.

If the analysis showed a microbial content of ten to the fourth power, this refers to the normal variant. When the result exceeds this level, for example, is ten to the fifth power, then intensive microbial growth is confirmed. An imbalance between beneficial and pathogenic bacteria is dysbacteriosis, which leads to the development of disease.

If the analysis showed “confluent growth” of microorganisms, you should suspect a large number of bacilli that form colonies when fused. The culture results also include an antibiogram. It lists antibacterial agents in the form of a plate. Next to each antibiotic there is a “+” sign:

one "+" indicates low level sensitivity of the pathogenic microbe to this type of antibacterial agent;
two “+” indicates an average level;
3 “+” - high sensitivity.

If a pathogenic microorganism is not sensitive to a particular antibiotic, then a “tick” is placed opposite it. This means that choosing this antibacterial drug is not advisable, since there will be no therapeutic effect from its use.

The analysis, or rather its results, are recorded on a special form. The type of microorganisms is indicated in Latin letters:

the result is considered negative when the throat swab does not have fungal and bacterial flora. In this case, the doctor should suspect a viral infectious pathology.
a positive response indicates the presence of growth of pathogenic/opportunistic microbes that can cause an infectious-inflammatory process in the oropharynx and nasopharynx. When there is an increase in fungal flora, candidiasis develops in the oral cavity.

We emphasize that normally the microflora can consist of fungi, Klebsiella pneumoniae, diphthe-, bacteroides, actinomycetes, pseudomonads, non-pathogenic Neisseria, coli, strepto-, meningococci, as well as epidermal staphylococcus.

As for pathogenic microorganisms, it is worth highlighting listeria, meningitis, pneumococcus, Loeffler's bacilli, hemolytic streptococcus, branhamella, Haemophilus influenzae, Bordetella, Staphylococcus aureus, as well as fungi.

A throat swab gives an idea of the presence of pathogenic microbes that could cause the development of the disease. Based on the results of the study, the doctor determines which treatment will be most effective in this case.

- a quick and painless procedure that provides significant assistance in the diagnosis of infectious diseases.

A throat smear for microflora is carried out quite often, because it gives the doctor necessary information about the patient's health status. This analysis is mistakenly confused with smears in gynecology. Although the purpose of the analysis is to determine bacterial microorganisms on the mucous membrane, it is taken from the throat. The analysis is usually done on the eve of the appointment of antifungal, antibacterial and antiseptics. This is necessary to assess the susceptibility of the pathogen strain to a particular drug.

If you are taking the test for the first time, you don’t have to worry; nothing that can cause discomfort or pain will happen to you during the diagnostic process. Throat culture does not take much time and is completely painless. The doctor takes a swab of flora from the throat using a wooden stick on which a cotton swab is wound. The patient opens his mouth, and the medical professional visually examines the oral cavity for visible areas of inflammation - redness and rashes. Next, holding his tongue with a flat stick, he takes a swab from the back wall of the throat. In some people, holding the tongue with a stick may cause vomiting reflex, but it comes quickly when the root of the tongue stops irritating the instrument.

There is also alternative way take a test - the patient is asked to gargle saline solution, and then spit it into a sterile container. In this case, the medical staff receives a larger volume of biomaterial, which allows them to conduct tests and more accurately determine the causative agent of the disease.

Special preparation this analysis does not require, it is enough for the patient not to smoke or suck lozenges for two hours before taking a smear. Having removed the biomaterial, the stick is placed in a nutrient medium, where, after the formation of a colony, the laboratory assistant can detect different kinds cocci, diphtheria bacilli, yeast-like fungi and other representatives of microfauna.

The main medium for throat microbes is blood agar. This environment contains nutrients for the active reproduction of saprophytic and pathogenic bacteria, for example, pneumococci and Staphylococcus aureus.

Sabouraud's medium is suitable for a wide range of microbes and is considered universal. Yolk-salt agar is an selective medium for mass cultivation of staphylococci. Chocolate agar is excellent for the propagation of gonococci, Haemophilus influenzae and pathogens of purulent bacterial meningitis. Endo medium is suitable for the cultivation of enterobacteriaceae. Enterococcus agar allows the development of a colony of enterococci.

It will take longer to wait for the results of a throat culture test than usual tests, approximately 5-7 days. Throat culture for microflora requires more time, since it is necessary to conduct a series of tests aimed at determining the sensitivity of the inherent bacteria to antibiotics and selecting the best drug.

A throat smear for microflora, like any analysis, has a number of indications for performance, among them are diseases such as:

diphtheria;
suspicion of Staphylococcus aureus;
meningococcal infection;
whooping cough;
mononucleosis;
scarlet fever;
sore throat and other bacterial diseases.

Indications for a throat smear may include pain in this area, difficulty swallowing, temperature fluctuations and a number of others. characteristic symptoms. Taking into account the simplicity and painlessness of the procedure for performing a smear on the culture tank, you can undergo it as a preventive measure to exclude pathological processes in the body.

Bacteriological research of this type is very important to carry out even as a preventive measure. This is especially true for medical staff maternity ward. Staphylococcus aureus, for example, spreads by airborne droplets, its large quantities can create a significant threat to the life of newborns.

Analysis results

The decoding of a throat smear is carried out by a qualified specialist. Normal result indicates that the test is negative, that is, no pathogenic organisms were found in the oral cavity that could provoke the disease. The patient is healthy if no pathogenic flora is detected in the oral smear, which exceeds 10*3 – 10*4. An indicator of 10*5 or more indicates the intensive development of opportunistic flora. The results form indicates the bacteria that was detected. The form also indicates the quantitative composition of the pathogen.

Analysis of flora from the throat can determine the development of such pathogenic microorganisms, How:

Bacteroides can cause chronic sinusitis, otitis media, oral infections, abscesses, and necrotizing pneumonia.
Branhamella causes sinusitis and respiratory infections.
Veillonella forms dental plaque and is the causative agent of periodontal disease.
Candida albicans in small quantities does not cause disease, although an increase in its number provokes candidiasis.
Streptococcus mutans destroys tooth enamel, leading to tooth deformation and loss.
Haemophilus influenza is one of the causative agents of influenza and epiglottitis.
Streptococcus pyogenes causes colds and respiratory illnesses.
Streptococcus pneumonia causes pneumonia, sinusitis, endocarditis, septic arthritis, primary peritonitis, and phlegmon.
Neisseriameningitides causes meningitis and nezopharyngitis.
Corynebacteriadiphtheria is the causative agent of diphtheria.
Klebsiellapneumonia can cause pneumonia and urogenital infections.
Pseudomonas is found in purulent inflammatory processes, enteritis and cystitis.
Escherichia coli causes peritonitis, colpitis, prostatitis and dysbacteriosis.
Cytomegalovirus causes sexually transmitted diseases, including oral contact.
Herpes simplex virus is the causative agent of herpes infections.
Epstein-Bar virus causes many diseases different localization, for example, hepatitis, herpes, leukoplakia, multiple sclerosis, immune deficiency, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, lymphogranulomatosis and Steven Jobs syndrome.

As can be seen from the above diseases, a throat smear is a very informative procedure that allows you to avoid further development pathological process and eliminate the disease at an early stage of development. If the tests reveal a large number of certain bacteria, the doctor will probably ask the patient’s relatives or people in contact with the patient to undergo a culture test. This is necessary if the doctor suspects that the patient is constantly becoming infected from someone around him.

Treatment of pathogenic flora

An otolaryngologist can prescribe the test. He will also select drugs to treat a particular disease. How treatment will occur directly depends on which microbe has been identified:

Bacteroides and Veillonella are sensitive to imidazole derivatives: Metronidazole, Tinidazole and Ornidazole.
Epstein-Barleche virus treated with Ganciclovir and Valaciclovir.
Escherichia coli is treated with Gentamicin, Nifuratel and Rifaximin.
Virus herpes simplex and Cytamegalovirus can be treated with Acyclovir, Valacyclovir, Famciclovir and Penciclovir.
Pseudomonas is sensitive to Piperacillin, Impenem, Tobramycin and Ciprofloxacin.
Klebsiellapneumonia is sensitive to aminoglycosides and third generation cephalosporins.
Neisseriameningitides is a deadly bacterium that can be eliminated by a number of drugs, including Penicillin, Ampicillin, Chloramphenicol and Ceftriaxone.
Haemophilus influenza therapy consists of the use of Cefotaxime or Ceftriaxone.
Corynebacteriadiphtheria is eliminated by drugs called Cefotaxime, Anaerocef, Lincomycin.
Streptococcus pyogenes is sensitive to penicillins and cephalosporins.
Streptococcuspneumonia is eliminated by Azithromycin, Clarithromycin, Levofloxacin and Josamycin.
Streptococcus mutans - Ampicillin, Augmentin, Benzylpenicillin, Vancomycin;
Branhamella is sensitive to tetracyclines as well as cephalosporins.
Candida albicans are eliminated with Fluconazole and Itraconazole.

All of the above medications cannot be prescribed to yourself; most of them contain toxic substances, which can negatively affect your well-being and further worsen the situation. After the patient will take the course therapy, he is re-tested for throat culture so that the doctor understands whether the treatment with the chosen drugs has helped, or whether the treatment regimen should be adjusted.

A swab from the throat is taken for a standard bacteriological study in order to study the microbial composition and quantitative ratio of the microflora of the nasopharynx. This is the method laboratory diagnostics, allowing to identify pathogens of infectious and inflammatory diseases upper sections respiratory tract. To determine the etiology of the infection, it is necessary to carry out bacteriological examination discharge of the nose and pharynx for microflora.

Specialists refer patients with chronic and microbiological laboratory, where biomaterial is taken from the nose and pharynx with a sterile cotton swab and examined. Based on the results of the analysis, the specialist determines the causative agent of the pathology and its sensitivity to antibiotics.

Reasons and purposes of taking a smear for microflora from the throat and nose:

Diagnosis caused by beta-hemolytic streptococcus and leading to the development of severe complications - glomerulonephritis, rheumatism, myocarditis.
The presence of Staphylococcus aureus in the nasopharynx, which provokes the formation of boils on the skin.
Bacteriological seeding of clinical material for inflammation of the nasopharynx is carried out in order to exclude diphtheria infection.
Suspicion of meningococcal or pertussis infection, as well as respiratory ailments.
Diagnosis of stenotic abscesses located near the tonsils includes a one-time analysis.
Persons in contact with an infectious patient, as well as children entering kindergarten or school, undergo preventive examination in order to detect bacterial carriage.
A complete examination of pregnant women includes taking a swab from the throat for microflora.
Everyone takes a throat and nasal swab for staphylococcus as a preventive measure medical workers, kindergarten teachers, chefs and grocery store clerks.
A throat swab to determine the cellular composition of the discharge. The material to be studied is applied to a special glass slide. Under a microscope, a laboratory technician counts the number of eosinophils and other cells in the field of view. A study is being conducted to determine the allergic nature of the disease.

Patients are sent to the bacteriological laboratory to examine material from the nasopharynx in order to exclude or confirm a specific infection. The direction indicates the microorganism whose presence must be confirmed or refuted.

Microflora of the nasopharynx

The mucous membrane of the pharynx and nose is home to many microorganisms that make up normal microflora nasopharynx. A study of the discharge of the throat and nose shows the qualitative and quantitative relationship of the microbes living in a given locus.

Types of microorganisms living on the nasopharyngeal mucosa healthy people:

Bacteroides,
Veillonella,
Escherichia coli
Branhamella,
Pseudomonas,
Streptococcus matans,
Neisseria meningitides,
Klebsiella pneumonia
Staphylococcus epidermidis,
viridans streptococcus,
Non-pathogenic Neisseria,
Diphtheroids,
Corynebacteria,
Candida spp.
Haemophilis spp.,
Actinomyces spp.

In case of pathology, the following microorganisms can be detected in a smear from the throat and nose:

Beta-hemolytic group A,
S. aureus,
Listeria,
Branhamella catarrhalis,
Acinetobacter baumannii,

Preparing for analysis

In order for the analysis results to be as reliable as possible, it is necessary to correctly select clinical material. To do this, you should prepare.

Two weeks before collecting the material, stop taking systemic antibiotics, and 5-7 days it is recommended to stop using antibacterial solutions, rinses, sprays and ointments for local application. The test should be taken on an empty stomach. Before this, it is forbidden to brush your teeth, drink water and chew gum. Otherwise, the analysis result may be false.

A nasal swab for eosinophils is also taken on an empty stomach. If a person has eaten, he must wait at least two hours.

Taking material

To properly take material from the pharynx, patients tilt their heads back and open their mouths wide. Specially trained laboratory personnel press the tongue with a spatula and collect the pharyngeal secretions with a special instrument - a sterile cotton swab. Then he removes it from the mouth and puts it into a test tube. The test tube contains a special solution that prevents the death of microbes during transportation of the material. The test tube must be delivered to the laboratory within two hours from the moment the material is collected. Taking a throat swab is a painless but unpleasant procedure. Touching a cotton swab to the mucous membrane of the pharynx can provoke vomiting.

To take a nasal swab, you need to sit the patient opposite and tilt his head slightly back. Before the analysis, it is necessary to clear the nose of existing mucus. The skin of the nostrils is treated with 70% alcohol. A sterile swab is inserted alternately, first into one and then into the other nasal passage, turning the instrument and firmly touching its walls. The swab is quickly lowered into a test tube and the material is sent for microscopy and microbiological examination.

Microscopic examination

The material to be examined is applied to a glass slide, fixed in a burner flame, Gram stained, and examined under an oil immersion microscope. Gram-negative or gram-positive rods, cocci or coccobacilli are detected in the smear, and their morphological and tinctorial properties are studied.

Microscopic signs of bacteria are an important diagnostic landmark. If the smear contains gram-positive cocci, located in clusters resembling bunches of grapes, it is assumed that the causative agent of the pathology is staphylococcus. If the cocci stain positive for Gram and are located in the smear in chains or pairs, it may be streptococci; gram-negative cocci - Neisseria; gram-negative rods with rounded ends and a light capsule - Klebsiella, small gram-negative rods - Escherichia, . Further microbiological examination is continued taking into account microscopic signs.

Inoculation of the test material

Each microorganism grows in its “native” environment, taking into account pH and humidity. Media can be differential diagnostic, selective, universal. Their main purpose is to provide nutrition, respiration, growth and reproduction of bacterial cells.

Inoculation of the test material must be carried out in a sterile box or laminar flow hood. The healthcare worker must wear sterile clothing, gloves, a mask and shoe covers. This is necessary to maintain sterility in the work area. In the box, you should work silently, carefully, ensuring personal safety, since any biological material is considered suspicious and obviously infectious.

A nasopharyngeal swab is inoculated onto nutrient media and incubated in a thermostat. After a few days, colonies with different shape, size and color.

There are special nutrient media that are selective for a specific microorganism.

The material is rubbed into the medium with a swab on a small area measuring 2 square meters. cm, and then using a bacteriological loop, streaks are scattered over the entire surface of the Petri dish. The crops are incubated in a thermostat at a certain temperature. The next day, the crops are examined, the number of colonies grown is taken into account and their nature is described. Individual colonies are reseeded on selective nutrient media to isolate and accumulate a pure culture. Microscopic examination of a pure culture makes it possible to determine the size and shape of the bacterium, the presence of a capsule, flagella, spores, and the relationship of the microbe to staining. The isolated microorganisms are identified to genus and species, and if necessary, phage typing and serotyping are carried out.

Research result

Microbiologists write out the results of the study on a special form. To decipher the result of a throat smear, indicator values are required. The name of the microorganism consists of two Latin words denoting the genus and type of microbe. Next to the name, indicate the number of bacterial cells, expressed in special colony-forming units. After determining the concentration of the microorganism, they move on to designating its pathogenicity - “opportunistic flora”.

In healthy people, bacteria live on the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx that perform protective function. They do not cause discomfort and do not cause inflammation. Under the influence of unfavorable endogenous and exogenous factors, the number of these microorganisms increases sharply, which leads to the development of pathology.

Normally, the content of saprophytic and opportunistic microbes in the nasopharynx should not exceed 10 3 - 10 4 CFU/ml, and pathogenic bacteria should be absent. Only a doctor with special skills and knowledge can determine the pathogenicity of a microbe and decipher the analysis. The doctor will determine the advisability and necessity of prescribing anti-inflammatory and antibacterial drugs to the patient.

After identifying the causative agent of the pathology and its identification to genus and species, they proceed to determining its sensitivity to phages, antibiotics and antimicrobials. It is necessary to treat a disease of the throat or nose with the antibiotic to which the identified microbe is most sensitive.

throat swab test results

Options for the results of a throat smear examination:

Negative culture result for microflora– there are no pathogens of bacterial or fungal infection. In this case, the cause of the pathology is viruses, not bacteria or fungi.
Positive culture result for microflora– there is a growth of pathogenic or opportunistic bacteria that can cause acute pharyngitis, diphtheria, whooping cough and others bacterial infections. With the growth of fungal flora, oral candidiasis develops, the causative agent of which is biological agents of the 3rd pathogenicity group - yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida.

Microbiological examination of the throat and nose flora makes it possible to determine the type of microbes and their quantitative ratio. All pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms are subject to complete identification. The result of laboratory diagnostics allows the doctor to correctly prescribe treatment.

They take it from the pharynx - that is, from the throat - in order to examine the mucous membrane and what bacteria and microorganisms inhabit it and in what quantity, and who is the possible causative agent of a particular disease.

This analysis helps the doctor accurately diagnose and prescribe appropriate treatment and medications.

This analysis may be prescribed in the following cases:

As one of the preventive procedures when hiring, if a person applies for workplace related to food products, children, sick patients and the like. The results of the analysis will show whether the person is healthy and whether he can work in this field.
When examining pregnant women, in order to prevent the development and action of bacteria that can provoke, complicating the course and life threatening baby.
When examining children entering preschool institutions to prevent the occurrence of infectious outbreaks in children's groups.
Before hospitalization of the patient in the hospital and in preparation for surgery, to ensure the absence of microorganisms that can cause complications during the postoperative period.
Screening people who have had close contact with patients with highly contagious microbial diseases to prevent further spread of the disease.
To accurately identify the pathogen that provoked a particular ENT organ, as well as to determine the sensitivity of this pathogen to the medications used.
For detection and treatment of sore throat, diphtheria, sinusitis, sinusitis, external otitis, etc.

If we summarize all of the above, we can say that a smear on the flora is prescribed in two cases: to find out whether a person is a carrier of pathogenic microbes and to identify the causative agent of any disease.

Preparation

In order to get the most reliable results, you need to follow certain rules, because this analysis requires some, although simple, but extremely important.

So, before taking a smear you need to:

refuse any rinses and mouth rinses containing antiseptics 2-3 days before the procedure
Avoid throat sprays and ointments containing antibiotics and antimicrobial substances 2-3 days before the procedure
do not eat or drink any drinks 2-3 hours before the test (best at all)
It is advisable not to brush your teeth on the day of the test or at least 2-3 hours before it
don't chew gum

It is necessary to refuse mouthwash solutions and throat sprays because they kill most of the microbes found in the mucous membrane of the pharynx and reduce their numbers to a minimum. As a result, of course, the true number of microbes in the mucous membrane will not be shown and the bacteria that can cause or have already caused will not be detected in the smear.

The food or drink a person eats, as well as toothpaste can simply wash away some of the bacteria, and this will also affect the result, which will not show what microorganisms are on the mucous membrane in reality.

It is advisable not to eat or drink at all on the day of the test, and if possible, it is better to refuse even a glass of water or a mug of coffee in the morning after waking up.

Thus, bacteria need to be given free rein and allowed to multiply freely in the mucous membrane for 2-3 days without exposing them to various antibacterial agents, and only then can the real picture be seen.

During the procedure, the patient throws his head back and opens his mouth wide. Pressing the patient's tongue with a medical metal or wooden spatula, the doctor runs a sterile cotton swab placed on a metal loop along the mucous membrane of the pharynx.

The procedure does not cause any painful sensations and virtually no discomfort, except perhaps the gag reflex that can appear from touching back wall throat.

The stick with the material collected on it is placed in a sterile container, where all conditions are created for the comfortable life of microbes so that they do not die before arriving at the laboratory.

In the laboratory, the collected material is placed in various nutrient media depending on the purpose for which it was carried out. Depending on the reaction and behavior of microbes, the results of the analysis are formed.

Decoding the results

Throat flora smear - normal and deviations from the norm

To decipher the results correctly, you need to know exactly what it was prescribed for. It is depending on a particular purpose that the presence and quantity of a particular microbe is examined and the need is established.

The results indicate the names of those microorganisms that make up the vast majority in the throat mucosa. The table or list shows the names of bacteria in Latin and their number in special units of measurement.

Normally, the following organisms are present in the mucous membrane of the pharynx:

epidermal
viridans streptococcus
some Candida fungi
non-pathogenic Neisseria and pneumococci

Among pathogenic bacteria, a smear on the flora from the throat can reveal the following:

?-hemolytic streptococcus group A
whooping cough pathogen
causative agent of diphtheria
fungi Candida albicans, etc.

Streptococci cause most human diseases; they try to identify it when pneumonia, pharyngitis, sore throat, scarlet fever and others are suspected.To eliminate the possibility allergic cause diseases, a smear is taken for those involved in allergic reactions.

Useful video - staphylococci.

For diagnostics staphylococcal infection A smear is done for staphylococcus. It is an opportunistic bacterium disease-causing only under certain conditions - for example, hypothermia, vitamin deficiency, weakened immunity.

The doctor who prescribed this analysis will independently decipher all the results obtained and, based on them, decide what actions to take in the future.

A throat flora smear is a simple, quick and completely painless procedure that will help identify the presence of pathogens and possible pathogens. Most often it is prescribed by a doctor and often gives full information about pathogens and necessary treatment.