Microbiology section big part of Incirlik laboratory

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Erica Stewart
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  What smells like sweet grapes, has an iridescent color and grows in a semi-airless environment more than five degrees above average body temperature?

The answer is Pseudomonas, a bacteria that can be found in the gastro intestinal system, will cause an individual to get diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever after exposure to the organism.

The Incirlik microbiology section of the laboratory is responsible for diagnosis and treatment of this illness, as well as many others.

"Most people don't realize that some old-fashioned legwork goes into detecting and treating most common infections," said Master Sgt. Chris Duffy, 39th Medical Support Squadron superintendent. "When we take a urine or stool sample, swab a throat, the diagnosis and treatment of the patient depends on what grows on an agar plate."

An agar plate is a sterile Petri dish containing a growth medium used to culture microorganisms.

"At the lab we have nine different kinds of agar plates in stock, ranging from Blood agar to Hektoen Enteric agar, used to detect salmonella and Shigella," said Sergeant Duffy.

After the sample is delivered to the laboratory it's up to the microbiology section to set up the sample on the correct agar plate to grow bacteria.

"Based on the physician's recommendations, we know what agar the supposed pathogen will need to grow," said Staff Sergeant Keith Johnson, 39th MDSS non-commissioned officer in-charge of microbiology.

The laboratory technician will use a long Q-tip to contaminate the agar plate with the sample, swiping the cotton tip containing the sample back and forth across the agar.

"After the sample is transferred to the plate, we put it in whatever environment that pathogen needs to grow," said Sergeant Johnson. "If the physician's suggestion is correct and the pathogen is confirmed, we then run a different test to determine which antibiotic will kill it."

Incirlik's microbiology section uses a Vitek identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing system to determine which antibiotic type and dosage will kill the pathogen.

"Every bacteria will react differently to different chemicals," said Sergeant Duffy. "So we make up a saline suspension of bacteria and inoculate that suspension into a card with 64 different chemicals."

The Vitek has 99.9 percent accuracy, said Sergeant Duffy, and the reactions the bacteria has to the different chemicals tell exactly what organism the pathogen is.

"After the chemical reaction is conclusive, we can move onto sensitivity-card testing," said Sergeant Johnson. "This card has wells filled with eight different antibiotics at different levels of concentration. The results of this test take one day to get back and determine the type and dosage of antibiotic the doctor should prescribe to the patient."

Even though the mechanics of the medical career field are commonly referred to as "practicing medicine" there are scientific processes and testing that determines diagnosis and prescriptions.

"People should know there is a reason it may take three days to determine what is wrong and how to fix it," said Sergeant Duffy. "Most bacteria take anywhere from one to three days to grow on the agar plates and, once it grows, we must then determine which bacteria on the plate is normal and which is harmful."

The time-consuming and critical role of Incirlik's laboratory microbiology section saves team Incirlik members from potentially life-threatening bacteria as well as protects their future health.

"It's a time consuming process when coupled with using the Vitek to analyze the organism in order to find out what antibiotic will kill it," said Sergeant Duffy. " We don't give out broad antibiotics because that is how people build up resistance. This time delay is necessary to give the doctor the best results to appropriately treat the patient."