If a symptomatic patient presents to a physician with an infection, the physician will treat the patient with antibiotics. What role does the laboratory play in antibiotic selection if the physician has already treated the patient before receiving the culture results?
A) The physician has only given the patient antibiotic samples, and they will only last for a couple days-until the culture results are ready and a proper prescription can be written.
B) Physicians will only write antibiotic prescriptions for patients who are infected with a large number of bacteria, so the laboratory needs to tell the physician which antibiotic to use to treat the patient infected with a small number of bacteria.
C) The physician can treat the patient for bacterial infections, but if the patient has a fungal infection, the physician relies on the laboratory to tell her or him if the patient has a fungal infection.
D) The physician expects the laboratory to affirm or reject the antibiotic choice made after the presumptive diagnosis.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The laboratory's role in antibiotic selection is to confirm or reject the antibiotic choice made after a presumptive diagnosis. The culture results can provide information on the specific pathogen causing the infection and its susceptibility to different antibiotics, allowing the physician to adjust the antibiotic regimen if necessary. However, if the physician has already treated the patient with antibiotics before receiving the culture results, the laboratory can still provide information on the effectiveness of the chosen antibiotic and whether any adjustments are needed in future treatments.

If a Symptomatic Patient Presents to a Physician with an Infection