CEREBROSPINAL FLUID )CSF)
من أهم العينات في المختبر و تتطلب التعامل معاها مباشرة
نلخصها في تغريدات و نسألكم عنها شويا

Specimen collection and handling

•Tube 1 – chemistries and serology
•Tube 2 – microbiology cultures
•Tube 3 – hematology

If immediate processing not possible

•Tube 1 (chem-sero)

•Tube 2 (micro)

Tube 3 (hemo)

MICROBIOLOGY

•Gram stain – Extremely important for early diagnosis of bacterial meningitis
•Even when well performed, 10% false negatives occur
•Use of Cytospin to concentrate specimen increases sensitivity
•Cultures- Aerobic & Anaerobic. Culture blood at same time

Organisms

Could find

•Newborns
•E. coli & group B Strep.

•Children
•Streptococcus pneumoniae
•Hemophilus influenzae
•Neisseria meningitidis

Adults -
•Neisseria meningitidis
•Streptococcus pneumoniae
•Staph. aureus
•Candida albicans

RESULT OF GRAM STAIN

Neisseria meningitidis (meningococci)

• Diplococci, lying side by side (Kidney shape)
• Intracellular, inside the neutrophils. Diplococci may occasionally be seen outside the cells and are usually few in number.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococci)
• Gram-positive
• Diplococci, lying end to end (glass shape)
•Surrounded by a capsule, which is not visible with Gram stain
• Not intracellular
• Usually many in number

Haemophilus influenzae (especially in young children)
• Gram-negative
• Small bacilli (coccobacilli)
•In all the above-mentioned forms of meningitis the leukocytes present are neutrophils.
Listeria group.
•Gram-positive bacilli