infections
Haemophilus influenzae Infections
Diagnosis ofH. influenzaeInfections
Culture of a sample of blood or other body fluids Sometimes examination of a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (obtained by spinal tap) To diagnose the infection, doctors take a sample of blood, pus, or other body fluids and send it to a laboratory to grow (culture) the bacteria. If people have symptoms of meningitis, doctors do a Spinal Tap (lumbar puncture) to obtain a sample of the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord (cerebrospinal fluid). Identifying the bacteria in a sample confirms the diagnosis. After the bacteria are identified, they may be tested to see which antibiotics are effective (a process called Testing a Microorganism's Susceptibility and Sensitivity to Antimicrobial Drugs ). 