Yashoda Hospitals > Diagnostics > Acid Fast Bacilli Culture Test

AFB (Acid Fast Bacilli) Culture Test

The purpose of the AFB (Acid Fast Bacilli) Culture Test is to check the body for an infection caused by bacteria called acid-fast bacillus (AFB). These bacteria mainly infect the lungs, resulting in tuberculosis (TB), along with other body parts, such as the spine, brain, or kidneys.

TB is of two kinds:

Latent TB: This is when the bacteria is present in your body, but you do not have any symptoms of the illness. Latent TB cannot spread to other people, but if it is ignored or your immune system is unable to defend your body against the bacteria, it may turn into active TB.

Active TB: This is when your body is showing symptoms of TB, and therefore, it can spread to another person through coughing or sneezing. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) estimate, nearly 2 million people die from active TB annually. To reduce the morbidity and mortality rates of this disease, doctors recommend the AFB test to detect active TB.

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    Frequently Asked Questions

    The AFB test is performed to detect the presence of the acid-fast bacillus (AFB) bacteria. It helps diagnose the infection caused by these bacteria.

    The AFB test is used to check for an active TB infection. In many cases, it is done to diagnose other mycobacterial infections such as leprosy (not very common now). This test is performed to detect an infection similar to that present in people with a weak immune system or HIV. It is done with samples of sputum (thick mucus or phlegm) from the lungs, which is not to be confused with spit or saliva.

    If the test result of an AFB culture test is positive, it indicates active TB infection. If the test result is negative, but your symptoms indicate the presence of the infection, your doctor will prescribe that you undergo the test again.

    You should take the AFB (Acid Fast Bacilli) test if you have any of the following conditions:

    • Sickness with symptoms of lung infection such as chronic cough, coughing up sputum or blood, fever with fatigue, chest pain, or weight loss without reason.
    • HIV diagnosis or a weak immune system 
    • Pain in the head, back, joints, or general weakness, and spotted blood in your urine, as these may be associated with the spinal cord and kidneys.

    This test is performed on sputum coughed up from inside your lungs after deep coughing. It is collected in a sterile container and kept for two days. If the sample cannot be collected through deep coughing, you will be given a warm, sterile saline solution to activate deep coughing and get enough sputum. If the sputum sample is still not enough, a process called gastric aspiration will be performed by inserting a tube in your stomach to collect the sputum. Alternatively, a bronchoscopy is done to collect sputum from the lungs by inserting a bronchoscope.

    No special preparation is required for the test. Since an early morning sample is preferred, you can rinse your mouth with warm water before coughing up sputum (phlegm).

    An AFB test result takes 6-8 weeks as the sample is put in a special environment suitable for bacterial growth for the test to take place. If your doctor prescribes a rapid culture test, the results take 36 to 48 hours.

    It is recommended that the sample be collected early in the morning. You should not eat or drink anything at all before such a collection.

    Usually, three samples are collected on different dates. If the test results are negative, but there are indications of bacterial infection, the sample will be collected again to repeat the test.

    There are no risks to collecting the sample by coughing up phlegm. If the sample is collected through bronchoscopy or stomach aspiration, there might be some discomfort or soreness after the procedure. It might make the site of the procedure vulnerable to infection or bleeding.

    It can be dangerous to ignore symptoms of TB. It is curable with timely diagnosis and by following the correct treatment protocols. The complete recovery takes around 6-8 months. You must follow your doctor’s advice to ensure that the infection does not recur. 

    To ensure early diagnosis, book an appointment with a specialist at Yashoda Hospital and get a free second opinion. Our team is here to help!