AFB CULTURE (MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS)

The Acid-Fast Bacilli (AFB) Culture Test is the definitive laboratory procedure used to detect the presence and allow for the identification of Mycobacterium species, most notably Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), the organism responsible for Tuberculosis (TB).

While an AFB Smear (microscopy) can provide a rapid, presumptive diagnosis, the AFB Culture is essential because it is:

1. More Sensitive: It detects very low concentrations of bacteria.
2. Definitive: It grows and isolates the organism for positive identification.
3. Drug Susceptibility Testing (DST): It provides the living organism needed to perform DST, which determines which antibiotics will be effective—a critical step in treating drug-resistant TB.

At Augmentum Diagnostics, an NABL-Accredited Lab in Delhi, including our location near Dwarka, we adhere to stringent protocols for AFB testing, often employing rapid liquid culture systems for quicker results.