Week 5 Lab

Question 1

What are the steps in obtaining skin culture?

Answer 1

Skin culture-TSA AGAR

1. Remove a sterile swab from the package
2. Dip the swab in the tube of sterile saline provided
3. thoroughly swab the palm surface of your hand, particularly the finger pads and webbing between the fingers
4. Inoculate a TSA agar plate by gently rolling the swab onto the corner of the plate. Discard the swab into the receptacle provided
5. Sterilize the inoculating loop and allow it to cool
6. Streak the plate for isolated colonies
7. Wash(scrub) your hands with antiseptic soap

Question 2

What are the steps in obtaining throat culture- SHEEP BLOOD AGAR PLATE?(first 2 steps)

Answer 2

1. Depress the back of the tongue with a wood tongue depressor
2. Thoroughly swab both tonsillar pillars and the posterior pharynx. Press firmly but be careful not to touch the cheeks or tongue with the swab

Question 3

What are the steps in obtaining throat culture-SHEEP BLOOD AGAR PLATE?(last 2 steps)

Answer 3

3. Inoculate a SHEEP BLOOD AGAR PLATE and streak for isolated, single colonies(as previously described)
4. After streaking is complete, stab the agar with the loop 3-4 times in the area of the original swab inoculation

This will enhance the hemolytic action of streptolysin O which is an oxygen labile hemolysis produced by B-hemolytic Group A streptococci