Culture AFB, Sputum

Culture AFB sputum is a microscopic examination of sputum sample for detection of acid fast bacteria (AFB) reponsible for causing infectious diseases. Most common disease caused by AFB mycobacterial species is tuberculosis which commonly affects lungs and sometimes brain, bones or kidneys. As tuberculosis spreads through coughing or sneezing so the sputum sample is taken for the investigation. Typical symptoms of tuberculosis include fever, sudden weight loss, persistent cough, fatigue, headache etc. A positive test warns of immediate medical intervention. This test is also used to check the efficacy of ongoing TB treatment. It takes about 3 weeks for the provisional report and 6 weeks for the final report.