Your SFENTA™ ear, nose and throat physician may recommend a culture if your infection persists after being treated with a course of antibiotics. This is becoming a more common practice as bacteria adapts and becomes resistant to the antibiotics that are readily available. As such, the use of cultures is increasing and becoming more important.
If your doctor believes that a culture is necessary to diagnose and treat your infection, he or she will swab the discharge from the target area. Depending on the location, this can be done with direct visualization or using a thin, flexible and lighted instrument called an endoscope.
The culture procedure is pain-free and can be completed within a matter of seconds. In about three days, the results of your culture will arrive at our office with the type of bacteria causing your infection, along with a list of antibiotics that can effectively treat the problem.
Cultures are becoming more important because of the rise in antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotics are medicines that can prevent and treat bacterial infections. When the bacteria changes in response to the use of these medications, it is known as antibiotic resistance. It is a major threat to global health that is making previously common infections much more difficult to treat.
There are steps individual patients can take to prevent antibiotic resistance. They include:
Contact SFENTA™ for a culture today, and let us identify the organism behind your infection and ensure that you receive the precise medication you need to restore optimal health.
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South Florida ENT Associates (SFENTA™) is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our patients, clinicians, and employees, particularly among the recent concern and outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. We are continuing to respond to the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Department of Public Health from each state, which are closely monitoring the outbreak of the COVID-19.
Across our network, SFENTA™ is implementing safety precautions to help limit the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the health of our patients, employees, and visitors. These preventive measures include:
As a current patient, if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms (i.e., cough, fever, shortness of breath, sore throat), please call your care center location and ask to speak to a staff member who can guide you with more information and treatment suggestions.
We ask that you DO NOT come into the office for any pre-scheduled appointments if you are experiencing any flu-like symptoms.
In addition, if you are not experiencing flu-like symptoms, but have traveled outside of the country in the last 14 days, contact a member of our triage staff to determine whether you should come into one of our care centers.
It is our goal to keep all of our patients healthy , reduce the spread of infection, and to make sure you have accurate information. We will continue to keep this site updated as more information becomes available.
Please note that the overall immediate health risk from the coronavirus is still considered low. People in areas where ongoing community spread of the virus has been reported are at elevated, though still relatively low, risk of exposure.
However, healthcare workers caring for patients with the COVID-19 and others in close contact with infected persons are at a greater risk of exposure. Travelers returning from affected international locations where community spread is occurring are also at elevated risk of exposure.
The CDC believes the virus may appear between 2-14 days after exposure. There is no vaccine and treatment is supportive. The virus is spread person to person mainly by respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. This is similar to other respiratory pathogens like influenza.
Together, South Florida ENT Associates will continue monitoring and preparing to meet the current challenge in order to ensure our staff and patients receive the same quality of care they deserve. We are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our patients, clinicians, and employees
The CDC believes the virus symptoms may appear between 2-14 days after exposure. There is no vaccine and treatment is supportive. The virus is spread person to person mainly by respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. This is similar to other respiratory pathogens like influenza.
For more information, visit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Official Information on COVID-19