What is the definition or description of: throat culture?

Throat culture: A throat culture is a test to determine what predominant organism (usually bacterial) is present in the throat when symptoms such as ulcers, pain, swelling or difficulty swallowing exist. A cotton swab is used to lightly touch the back or sides of the throat (pharynx), then smeared onto a culture plate to allow the organisms to multiply for identification. www.mainlineent.com.

Swab of throat: This is usually done when a throat infection is suspected. One will take a swab of the throat and then place the swab in culture medium. This will then be grown on a culture plate to determine if/what type of bacteria is causing the infection. Both viruses and bacteria can cause throat infections.