The patient is diagnosed with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis infection, a foodborne illness. The identification of the bacterial subspecies of “serovar Enteritidis” is important for developing his treatment plan. What method of identification made it possible to identify the serovar type?

You provide education for the family about the laboratory findings. Which of the following statements correctly describes the medical importance of a bacterial capsule?

You are a RN working at an urban low-income medical clinic when a young woman enters crying. She is 19 years old and 28 weeks pregnant with her second child. The woman reports that she woke this morning to find she was leaking milky-colored fluid vaginally. Her first child was born 6 weeks early due to premature rupture of membranes and she is worried this is happening again. You reassure the patient, explain that a vaginal speculum exam will be performed, and educate her about specimens that will be collected. Once the proper specimens are obtained and appropriately labeled, the wet mount and culturette are sent to the laboratory for processing.

Ms. Hungh’s microscopy results are inconclusive. Culturing of the sputum is performed in order to isolate microbial growth for further analysis. Lowenstein-Jensen medium is utilized to allow the growth of Mycobacterium species if present in the sample, while preventing unwanted background organisms. What is the proper term for this type of medium?

Which diagnostic method would most effectively confirm the presence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)?

What is the most effective strategy for preventing hospital-acquired infections?

Which test demonstrates the composition and distribution of proteins in CSF?

Select the correct statement(s) regarding birefringence.

Cholesterol crystals present in a milky/white fluid are indicative of a

What is the normal volume of CSF in a neonate?