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Microbiology Lab

The department of microbiology at BIACH & RC aim at providing accurate and reproducible results on clinical material within the shortest possible time. This has been archived by round the clock laboratory services, online reporting and use of state of the art equipment.

 

Facilities:

Blood culture is done on BACT/ALERT 3D Biomerieux automated system for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, fungi and mycobacteria indicate positivity from 3 hours onwards. Identification and sensitivity of most of the organism grown could be reported in about 4 - 6 hours, on an automated system. Thus organisms causing life threatening infections resulting in bacteraemia could not only be grown , but their identification & sensitivity would also be available in about 10 hours time, which would help greatly in institution of early specific antimicrobial therapy.

 

Conventional culture for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, fungi and amoebae from clinical specimen other than blood is carried out on most appropriate media in controlled environment. Identification & sensitivity of bacteria done By Biomerieux Mini API and can be reported within 4-6 hours on automated system, thus reducing the time of availability of report by almost a day.

 

Microbiological (bacterial, fungal, protozoan, parasitic and viral) diagnosis of human infections and infectious diseases on various specimens like pus, blood, urine, sputum, throat swabs, catheter tips, various fluids (pleural, peritoneal, CSF, ascitic fluid etc) and stool.

 

Testing of antimicrobial agents against micro-organisms from clinical specimens, and advice on antimicrobial therapy.

 

Serological diagnosis of various viral infections like HIV, Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus, are done by Electrochemilumniscence Assay and Enzyme linked immunoadsorbent Assay (ELISA), Dengue and ANA are also done by ELISA. Various other investigations like-Swine flu(Immunochromatographic method),Dengue and chikungunya are also doneI CD4 ,CD8 count and ratio by flow cytometry ( BD FACS Calibur).

Widal - Tube agglutination method.

Western blot assay –confirmatory test for HIV.

Advice on the prevention of infections by prophylactic measures (antibiotics, vaccines and immunoglobulin therapy).

Advice on antisepsis, disinfection and sterilization.

The investigation of outbreaks of infections in the hospital and preventive & prophylactic measures to be taken.

The investigation of environmental specimens (eg: food, water).

Detection of specific antibodies against different infecting organism, bacteria, fungi, parasites and virus) and autoimmune diseases are carried out both by conventional & ELISA system.

 

Services offered by the department of Microbiology

   • Gram stain of various specimens.

   • AFB stain of various specimens.

   • Blood Culture and sensitivity by BACT/ALERT automated system.

   • Pus culture and sensitivity.

   • Throat swab culture and sensitivity.

   • Sputum culture and sensitivity.

   • Urine for culture and sensitivity.

   • Catheter tip for culture and sensitivity.

   • Stool for culture and sensitivity.

   • Fungal culture and sensitivity.

   • Mycobacterial culture.

   • Procalcitonin.

   • FEBRILE PANEL (Blood c/s, urine c/s, sputum c/s, Malarial parasite, widal, procalcitonin, HSV serology, CMV serology) Widal.

   • Western blot assay.

   • Helicobacter Pylori serology.

   • ANA by ELISA.

   • Chikungunya IgM.

   • Dengue NS1 ag IgM and IgG.

   • ASO-Antistreptolysin O Titre.

   • CRP- C-Reactive protein.

   • RA- Rheumatoid factor.

   • Rapid influenza test (immunochromatagraphic method).

   • Pregnancy test.

 

Quality control (Q.C.) and quality assurance (Q.A)

Quality control (Q.C.) and quality assurance (Q.A) are strictly implemented and usually authenticated by reproducible result from other laboratories.

The department is actively involved in infection control activities of the hospital. Epidemiology and surveillance of hospital associated infections and training of all categories of staff is an ongoing programme. The prevention and control of cross-infections through Hospital infection control committee.

 

Teaching & Research

The department is also involved in teaching & research.

 

DMLT for laboratory technician training.

The short term training and preparation for research projects is being provided to Msc. students of different Universities and Laboratory technicians of different institutions.