infections
Staphylococcus aureus Infections
Diagnosis of Staph Infections
For skin infections, a doctor's evaluation For other infections, culture of blood or infected body fluids Staphylococcal skin infections are usually diagnosed based on their appearance. Other infections require samples of blood or infected fluids, which are sent to a laboratory to grow (culture), identify, and test the bacteria. Laboratory results confirm the diagnosis and determine which antibiotics can kill the staphylococci (called Testing a Microorganism's Susceptibility and Sensitivity to Antimicrobial Drugs ). If a doctor suspects osteomyelitis, x-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Radionuclide Scanning , or a combination is also done. These tests can show where the damage is and help determine how severe it is. Bone biopsy is done to obtain a sample for testing. The sample may be removed with a needle or during surgery. 