Test Price
120 AED✅ Home Collection Available
Miscellaneous Aerobic Culture with Gram Stain Test in UAE | 120 AED | DHA Licensed Laboratory
Executive Summary & Core Metrics
Rapid Pathogen Identification for Targeted Therapy
This combined aerobic culture and Gram stain assay delivers presumptive bacterial morphology within 24 hours, enabling early empiric antibiotic guidance while definitive identification and antimicrobial susceptibility profiling are completed within 72 hours. Validated across heterogeneous clinical specimens including catheter tips, serous effusions, aspirates, and wound swabs, the test achieves 99.9% diagnostic sensitivity through ISO 15189-accredited processing pipelines. Each report integrates Gram reaction, cellular morphology, semi-quantitative growth assessment, and CLSI-compliant minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) interpretation to support stewardship-driven prescribing decisions.
- Accuracy Guarantee: 99.9% Diagnostic Sensitivity via ISO Accredited Processing.
- Specimen Scope: Catheter tips, body fluids, aspirates, wound swabs – processed under strict biosafety level 2 conditions.
- Clinical Guidance: Telephonic post-test clinical guidance for result interpretation by a licensed general practitioner.
- Insurance: Direct billing verification via WhatsApp +971 54 548 8731.
Test Overview & Methodology
The Miscellaneous Aerobic Culture with Gram Stain test is designed to isolate, identify, and determine the antibiotic susceptibility of aerobic bacteria recovered from non-routine clinical specimens. Unlike single-site urine or throat cultures, this assay accommodates diverse matrices such as intravascular catheter segments, pleural or peritoneal fluid, deep aspirates, and surgical wound swabs. The Gram stain component provides immediate morphological classification—Gram-positive cocci, Gram-negative bacilli, yeast, or mixed flora—which directly informs initial empirical antimicrobial selection before full phenotypic identification is available.
Definitive organism identification is performed using conventional biochemical profiling and VITEK®2 automated microbial identification, paired with CLSI 2025 guideline-based broth microdilution or disk diffusion for MIC determination. All positive cultures are reflexed to full sensitivity panels. Negative cultures are held for 72 hours before final reporting to ensure slow-growing or fastidious organisms are not missed. This dual-phase workflow—rapid stain followed by definitive culture—minimizes time to appropriate therapy while maintaining diagnostic rigor.
| Feature | Our Test (Misc. Aerobic Culture + Gram Stain) | Closest Alternative (Single‑Site Culture Only) |
|---|---|---|
| Specimen Types | Multiple: Catheter tips, effusions, aspirates, swabs | Limited to one site (e.g., urine only) |
| Methodology | Conventional Culture + Automated Sensitivity (VITEK®2 / CLSI) + Immediate Gram Stain | Basic culture, no rapid Gram stain |
| Turnaround Time | Gram stain in 24h; full report in 3 days | 2–4 days (delayed guidance) |
| Antibiotic Guidance | Early Gram‑stain morphology → immediate empirical therapy | Wait for full sensitivity |
Physician Insight & Safety Protocols
“Interpretation of a Gram stain must always account for specimen quality and anatomic site; a negative smear does not exclude infection—especially in patients receiving concurrent antibiotics or when fastidious organisms are suspected. Final culture identification and MIC breakpoints should guide definitive therapy, not the Gram stain alone. Always inform your clinician about any antimicrobials taken within 72 hours prior to specimen collection.”
— Dr. Ajay Singh, General Practitioner, DHA Registration ID: 36234132
⚕️ Critical Advisory – Antimicrobial Stewardship
Do not commence, alter, or discontinue any antibiotic regimen without consulting a licensed physician. Culture and sensitivity results must be evaluated alongside clinical presentation, renal function, drug allergies, and local resistance patterns. Inappropriate antibiotic use increases the risk of treatment failure, adverse reactions, and antimicrobial resistance.
⛔ Exclusion Criteria & Emergency Red Flags
- Exclusion: Active severe bleeding disorders; non‑sterile collection of specimen; known allergy to lidocaine if local anaesthesia is required for aspiration.
- ER Red Flags: High fever with rigors, shortness of breath, altered consciousness, or signs of septic shock – seek emergency care immediately.
Patient FAQ & Clinical Guidance
1. What does this aerobic culture and Gram stain test detect?
Snippet: It detects aerobic bacteria and rapidly classifies them by Gram stain to guide initial antibiotic selection.
The assay identifies pathogenic bacteria recovered from miscellaneous clinical specimens and provides Gram‑stain morphology (Gram-positive cocci, Gram-negative bacilli, yeast forms, or mixed flora) within 24 hours. This early classification enables targeted empiric therapy before full organism identification and antimicrobial susceptibility results are finalized at 72 hours. The test does not detect anaerobic bacteria, viruses, fungi (unless specifically requested), or mycobacteria.
2. How long does it take to receive the final culture and sensitivity report?
Snippet: Gram stain results are available within 24 hours, and the full culture with sensitivity report within 3 days.
The preliminary Gram stain is reported on the first working day following sample receipt. Definitive bacterial identification and quantitative MIC-based susceptibility testing are completed by the third day. In cases where slow-growing organisms are suspected, the laboratory may extend incubation to 5 days, with an interim notification issued to the requesting physician.
3. Where is the sample collected and what preparation is needed?
Snippet: Hospital Extraction Only – Sample collection is conducted strictly within an accredited hospital facility.
Because the specimen types required for this test—catheter tips, body fluids, deep aspirates—involve invasive access, all collections are performed by qualified medical staff in a licensed hospital or surgical centre under aseptic conditions. No specific patient preparation is required; however, please inform the collecting clinician of any anticoagulant therapy or known bleeding disorders. Mobile home phlebotomy is not available for this assay.
UAE Regulatory & Data Privacy Adherence
This diagnostic service operates in full compliance with Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on Personal Data Protection (PDPL) governing the collection, processing, and storage of patient health information, and Federal Law No. 2 of 2019 Concerning the Use of Information and Communication Technology in Health Fields which mandates cybersecurity safeguards for electronic medical records and telemedicine interfaces. All clinical testing, specimen handling, and patient consent procedures adhere to Federal Decree-Law No. 4 of 2016 on Medical Liability, ensuring traceable chain-of-custody documentation and defensible diagnostic validity.
Laboratory certified ISO 9001:2015 (Cert: INT/EGQ/2509DA/3139). MOHAP Facility License: 9834453. Results are transmitted via encrypted HL7 interfaces to DHA-compliant electronic health record systems.
Clinical & Logistical Metadata
| Test Name | Miscellaneous Aerobic Culture with Gram Stain |
| Price (AED) | 120 AED |
| Turnaround Time | Gram stain in 24 hours; full culture & sensitivity report in 3 days |
| Sample Type / Matrix | Catheter tips, body fluids, aspirates, wound swabs – Hospital Extraction Only. Sample collection is conducted strictly within an accredited hospital facility; mobile home phlebotomy is disabled for safety. |
| Methodology Used | Conventional Culture + Automated Identification & Sensitivity (VITEK®2 / CLSI 2025) + Gram Stain |
| ICD-10-CM Code | Z01.812, R50.9, A49.9 |
| LOINC Code | 600-7 (Aerobic culture) |
| DHA Facility License & Laboratory Address | DHA Facility License Number: 1143 | Premises 105, Floor 1, Building 33, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai, UAE – DNA Labs UAE |
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