Bacteriological Stool Culture

• Study goals:
  - Diagnosis of acute and chronic intestinal infections.
  - Determining causes of diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders.
  - Monitoring therapy effectiveness and intestinal sanitation.
  - Detection of dysbiosis and restoration of normal microflora.


• Procedure:
  - Collection of stool sample and inoculation on various nutrient media supporting growth of different bacterial groups (e.g., MacConkey agar, Sabouraud agar, egg-yolk salt agar, etc.).
  - Incubation at optimal temperature (usually 37°C) for 24–48 hours.
  - Observation of colony growth and morphological assessment.


• Microorganism identification:
  - Microscopy of the culture.
  - Biochemical tests to determine bacterial species.
  - Modern methods like MALDI-TOF, PCR, serological reactions (if needed).


• Sensitivity testing:
  - After pathogen isolation, antibiotic and antimicrobial sensitivity testing is performed.
  - Helps select effective treatment and prevent resistance.


• Indications:
  - Chronic and acute diarrheal diseases.
  - Suspected bacterial intestinal infections: Salmonellosis, Shigellosis, Campylobacteriosis, etc.
  - Post-antibacterial treatment monitoring.
  - Suspected dysbiosis or impaired normal microflora.


• Interpretation features:
  - Detection of pathogenic bacteria confirms their role in disease.
  - Presence of conditionally pathogenic flora may indicate microflora imbalance.
  - Absence of pathogens does not completely exclude infection and requires comprehensive evaluation.


• Advantages:
  - Precise pathogen identification.
  - Antibiotic sensitivity determination.
  - Enables individualized therapy.
  - Important for epidemiological monitoring.