A smear from the throat or nose. Procedure and types of laboratory research

Why do I need a smear? A throat swab makes it possible to determine the state of the bacterial flora of the patient. It also helps to determine the level of sensitivity to antibacterial drugs. A smear is made to diagnose a throat disease in children and adults. The samples obtained are examined under laboratory conditions. This allows you to accurately assess the nature of the disease and choose the best treatment.

How is the smear from the throat carried out?

The tampon used in this procedure must be sterile. With its help, samples of mucus from the surface of the pharynx are removed. For this purpose, the doctor should press the root of the patient's tongue with a special tool (spatula) to reach the posterior pharyngeal wall. It is advisable not to touch the surface of the teeth and the mucous membrane of the mouth with a swab. Then the tampon is placed in a sterile flask, which is sealed and sent to the laboratory.

What is required of the patient?

Before performing a smear from the throat, it is necessary to instruct the patient about the need for preliminary preparation. For 2 hours before taking the material, the patient should not take food or gargle. If a swab is taken from the nose, then the nasal cavity must be cleaned beforehand.

Smear from the nose

The material is collected as follows. A sterile tampon is inserted alternately into each nostril. In this case, it is necessary to ensure its intimate contact with the walls and septum of the nose. The collected material is immediately sown on prepared nutrient media. Part of the material should be placed on a slide, perform a glass-stalking and sent to a microscopic examination.

RINOCYTOLOGICAL RESEARCH

For this procedure, the used tampon is moistened with physiological saline, then inserted for 2-3 cm inside the nasal passage. In this case, the tampon should be pressed against the lower part of the nasal mucosa . Samples of the material are taken out on a froth-free glass slide. Later the material obtained under laboratory conditions will be subjected to special coloring. This will make it possible to establish the cellular composition of the substance.

Immunofluorescence analysis

For rapid diagnosis, samples of bacterial flora can be sent to immunofluorescence analysis. Then the samples under investigation are treated with sera with antibodies labeled with fluorochromes. When they are combined with homologous antigens, a characteristic luminescence appears in the patient's samples. It is clearly visible in a fluorescent microscope and allows you to quickly diagnose the disease.

Analysis results

The results of laboratory tests, as a rule, are prepared within 3-5 days. A smear from the throat or nose helps to pinpoint the cause of the disease. This is extremely important for patients! Therefore, if you suspect an infectious disease, doctors often prescribe these tests. Treatment is carried out already taking into account the revealed features of the bacterial flora of the patient.