Cerebro spinal fluid culture
(CSF culture)

Sample type :

sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Uses:

• Viral meningitis

• Pyogenic meningitis

• Tuberculosis meningitis

• Chronic meningitis (due to Cryptococcus neoformans)

Precautions:

• Certain routine precautions must be taken in the collection and handled specimens. Without these precautions the patient’s condition may be incorrectly diagnosed

• A healthcare provider will clean your back with a sterile solution such as iodine.

• Your doctor will maintain a sterile area throughout the procedure to lower your risk of infection.

Interfering factor:

• Patient on antibiotic therapy

Pre-analytical errors:

• Labeling specimens

• Contaminations of the specimens

• Preserving specimens

• Transporting of the specimens

Corrective action:

• Specimen should be labeled

• Collection should be as aseptic as possible

• Specimen should be transported quickly to prevent drying out.

Post-analytical errors:

• Not all requested tests done

• Write another patient’s name in the report

Reference range:

No flora are normally present. In healthy people the specimen may be contaminated by normal skin flora.