Microbiology

Microbiology answers two different questions. The culture side grows the organism from your sample — blood, urine, sputum, wound or stool — identifies it, and then tests which antibiotics actually stop it, so treatment rests on evidence rather than guesswork. The serology side looks for the antigens and antibodies a germ leaves behind in your blood.

A culture takes time because the organism has to grow, but the sensitivity panel that follows is what stops antibiotics being used blindly. Identity and sensitivity are confirmed on automated systems and read by a microbiologist.