When are cultures necessary?
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.
What to expect during the culture procedure
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.
Tips for preventing antibiotic resistance
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:
- Only using prescribed antibiotics
- Always following your doctor’s instructions when taking antibiotic medication
- Completing the full treatment course of all antibiotics
- Never sharing or using leftover antibiotics
Contact Us Today
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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