Definition:
The acid-fast stain is a laboratory test that determines if a sample of tissue, blood, or other body substance is infected with the bacteria that causes tuberculosis and other illnesses.
Alternative Names:
How the test is performed:
Your health care provider will collect a sample of blood, urine, stool, sputum, bone marrow, or tissue, depending on the location of the suspected infection. The sample is then sent to a laboratory, where a small amount is placed on a glass slide, stained, and heated. The cells in the sample hold onto the dye. The lab team member washes the slide with an acid solution and applies a different stain. The bacteria that hold onto the first dye are considered "acid-fast" because they resist the acid wash. This type of bacteria is associated with tuberculosis and other infections.
How to prepare for the test:
Preparation depends on how the sample is collected. Your health care provider will tell you how to prepare.
How the test will feel:
The amount of discomfort depends on how the sample is collected.
Why the test is performed:
The test can tell if you are infected with mycobacteria, the organism that causes tuberculosis and related infections.
References:
|