CSF CULTURE & STAIN

LAB268

CSF

Sterile container

Refrigerate

Set Up:Daily Report Available:5 days

Cultures of the CSF are taken to diagnose suspected cases of meningitis. If the spinal fluid is cloudy, if the white cell count is greater than 1000/mm3 with a predominance of polymorphonuclear cells, and/or spinal fluid glucose is reduced, this is suggestive of a bacterial meningitis. In meningitis caused by fungi, viruses, and mycobacteria, the fluid is usually nonpurulent, the cell count is low with a predominance of mononuclear cells, and glucose content is normal or slightly reduced. Bacterial meningitis is usually secondary to bacteremia caused by an infection at a distal body site. Hemophilus influenzae type B causes most of the bacterial meningitis in the neonatal period to age 6. Group B beta hemolytic streptococci and E. coli cause significant amounts of neonatal meningitis. In contrast, most adult community acquired bacterial meningitis is caused by S. pneumoniae. Meningitis due to meningococcus is rare and primarily affects children and young adults. Epidemics can occur in places where large numbers of people are crowded into relatively small spaces (e.g. prison or military camp). Meningitis due to staphylococcal and gram negative enteric bacilli is usually secondary to severe predisposing factors, such as head trauma. Because bacteria presumably may be trapped on membrane filters, centrifugation appears to be a superior method for recovering bacteria from spinal fluid. Persons with compromised immune defenses are susceptible to CNS infection with Cryptococcus neoformans, a yeast which causes a slowly progressing insidious disease. Untreated, the infection is ultimately fatal.