What is Culture-Skin?
The Culture – Skin Test is a diagnostic test performed to determine the presence of bacterial, fungal, or viral contamination on the skin. The test entails obtaining a specimen from an affected area and growing the organisms in the laboratory to determine the type of pathogen(s) causing the infection.
It includes bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, fungi such as Candida and Dermatophytes, and viruses such as herpes simplex virus on the skin. Knowing the cause of the disease, the healthcare provider will prescribe the right medication to reduce the severity of the symptoms and the rate of the spread of the disease.
How is the Test Performed?
The Culture-Skin test is a straightforward test involving a simple blood draw.
Preparation
- Do not apply any topical ointments, creams, or antifungal solutions to the affected area for at least one day before taking the sample.
- The affected part should be washed with water only and without using antiseptic soaps as they may hamper the growth of the microbes.
- Tell your doctor if you are currently on antibiotics or antifungal medication as this may change the test results.
Collection
- A cotton swab sterile is used to swab open wounds, ulcers, or pus-filled lesions, and then A sterile scalpel is used to gently scrape off skin scales in the case of fungal infection.
- For more severe infections, where it is impossible to obtain a sample from the surface of the skin, a piece of skin may be excised.
- In the case of a fluid-filled lesion, the sample may be aspirated using a syringe for further testing.
Lab Analysis
- When the sample is obtained, the following processes are performed on it.
Bacterial growth is encouraged by placing the sample on specific growth media, and then gram staining and biochemical tests are done to determine the bacterial species.
In the case of fungal infection, the sample is placed on a specialized medium, such as Sabouraud’s agar, to distinguish between dermatophytes, molds, or yeast.
In viral infections, PCR may be employed to establish the presence of viral DNA or RNA from the sample
What are the symptoms that prompt this test?
Your healthcare provider may advise you to go for a Culture – Skin Test if you have chronic or recurrent skin infections that don’t improve with the first course of treatment. The test is especially important in cases where the cause of the infection is not evident.
General Symptoms
- Redness, Pain, and Swelling
- Ulcers and blisters with pus
- Rashes that worsen with time
- Flaking of the skin
- Skin lesion with healing difficulty
- Nail discoloration and detachment
What are Normal Ranges for This Test?
A normal result indicates that no pathogenic microorganisms are found in the sample, which means that there is no ongoing infection.
Nevertheless, there are many bacteria and fungi that are components of the skin’s normal flora and may be isolated in small numbers in the sample that cause no disease.
What Happens if Test Results Show Abnormal Levels?
If a pathogenic microorganism is detected the healthcare provider recommends the following;
- Antibiotic therapy oral or topical, severe conditions such as cellulitis, impetigo, and others require targeted antibiotic therapies.
- Antifungal medications are given for conditions such as ringworm, athlete’s foot, etc.
- In the case of shingles and herpes simplex infections, antiviral drugs are given.
