Aerobic Culture of Sputum Specimen

Culture medium 24 hours of culture 48 hours of culture 1 week of culture 2 weeks of culture 4-6 weeks of culture
Blood agar plate Normal flora Normal flora dried out and useless dried out and useless dried out and useless
Chocolate agar plate Normal flora Normal flora dried out and useless dried out and useless dried out and useless
MacConkey agar plate No growth No growth dried out and useless dried out and useless dried out and useless
Lowenstein Jensen agar slant No growth No growth No growth No growth Small dry crumbly looking colonies; Did not stain by Gram Stain; Acid-fast positive rods 
Sabouraud Dextrose agar plate No growth No growth dried out and useless dried out and useless dried out and useless
BACTEC radiometric broth system No growth No growth No growth Growth detected. Did not Gram Stain; Acid-fast positive rods   No need to go any further.
 
©1998, Neal R. Chamberlain, Ph.D.. All rights reserved.