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A member asked:
Blood tests. if sent to a laboratory, can they detect infection if bacteria die on the way?
A doctor has provided 1 answer
Blood in culture med: Ium. If blood is sent to the lab for culture to detect bacteria, it is usually mixed with culture medium that allows the bacteria to stay viable and grow. There are other tests for bacterial infections that are not dependent on viable organisms and those rely on looking for antibodies to bacteria, in these cases bacteria are usually not present in the blood and viable ones are not needed.
Answered 3/26/2013
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