Bacon?! How Does it Work???

ianbrooks:

Black Light Bubbles

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raptorific:

I think this is the last one!

thebeemo:

:D the result of being bored!

(Source: tehbeemo)

Day 1: Microbiology Assessment

The discs certainly seem like they would speed up the diagnostic process by causing isolation of microbes within an area around the disc which can then be subbed vs. having to attempt to sub a colony that is underneath or surrounded by other bugs. Proteus mirabilis in a mix is the king of annoyances as far as isolation goes.

I always though MacConkey was a near equivalent of EMB. I’m just surprised because I’ve used EMB for years and across the country, though I can see the advantage of vanc chocolate agar, particularly in the isolation of Haemophilus and Gonococci, from a specimen area not rich in Lactobacillus.

amygdala-hijack:

The discs on primary plates are for diagnostic purposes. For example, the presence of the chloramphenicol disc will show up the presence of yeasts on plates which might be clogged up with bacteria, and as most bacteria are sensitive to chloramphenicol, it is quite useful.

Also, the hospital I work at don’t have EMB agar and instead use vancomycin chocolate agar for the selection of GNBs.

viralsmile:

Looks about right, though I’ve never placed discs on primary plates except when plating a positive blood cX and reading a gram stain of the sample. The lack of EMB is unnerving. 

Day 1: Microbiology Assessment

Looks about right, though I’ve never placed discs on primary plates except when plating a positive blood cX and reading a gram stain of the sample. The lack of EMB is unnerving. 

amygdala-hijack:

I received my three samples, in which I had to identify the bacterium causing the illness.

Patient 1:

Neonate with an eye infection.

Media used/incubation:

• Blood agar (BA) with optochin (Opt) disc; incubated at 35-37°C in 5-10% CO₂  for 48 hours.
• Chocolate agar (CA) with chloramphenicol (C30) disc; incubated at 35-37°C in 5-10% CO₂  for 48 hours.
• 1/4 Mannitol salt agar (MSA); incubated at 35-37°C in O₂  for 48 hours.
• New York City agar;  incubated at 35-37°C in 5-10% CO₂  for 48 hours.

Patient 2:

Cystic Fibrosis patient sputum sample.

Media used/incubation:

BA with Opt disc; incubated at 35-37°C in 5-10% CO₂ for 48 hours.

• CA with C30 disc; incubated at 35-37°C in 5-10% CO₂  for 48 hours.
• Vancomycin chocolate agar; incubated at 35-37°C in 5-10% CO₂  for 48 hours.
• MacConkey agar; incubated at 35-37°C in O₂  for 18-24 hours.
• 1/2 MSA; incubated at 35-37°C in O₂  for 48 hours.
• 1/2 MRSA selective chromogenic agar; incubated at 35-37°C in O₂  for 24 hours.
• 1/2 Pseudomonas selective agar; incubated at 35-37°C in O₂  for 48 hours.
• Burkholderia cepacia selective plate; incubated at 35-37°C in O₂  for 48 hours, then incubated at 30°C in O₂  for 5 days.

Patient 3:

Swab from an individual with an ear infection.

Media used/incubation:

• BA with vancomycin (P1) and Opt disc; incubated at 35-37°C in 5-10% CO₂ for 48 hours.
• CA with C30 disc; incubated at 35-37°C in 5-10% CO₂  for 48 hours.
• Streptococcus selective blood agar; incubated  at 35-37°C in 5-10% CO₂  for 48 hours.
• MacConkey agar; incubated at 35-37°C in O₂  for 18-24 hours.
• 1/4 MSA; incubated at 35-37°C in O₂  for 48 hours.
• 1/2 Pseudomonas selective agar; incubated at 35-37°C in O₂  for 48 hours.

Expect updates within the next 24 hours! :)

(via fyeahmedlab)

collegiuminvisbile:

Optical microscope imagery of phagocytes ingesting bacteria (stained pink). 

(Source: collegiuminvisibile, via fyeahmedlab)