An NP culture swab is collected to detect the presence of organisms that cause

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Multiple Choice

An NP culture swab is collected to detect the presence of organisms that cause

Nasopharyngeal culture is used to detect Bordetella pertussis, the organism that causes whooping cough. This bacteria tends to colonize the nasopharynx, especially early in the illness, so taking a swab from that area and attempting to culture it (or testing for its DNA) is the standard way to confirm infection. The other options don’t fit this specimen type: genetic defects are found with human genetic testing, not by culturing from the nasopharynx; encephalitis is brain inflammation and isn’t diagnosed through an NP culture; strep throat is typically diagnosed with a throat (pharyngeal) swab for Streptococcus pyogenes, not a nasopharyngeal culture.

Nasopharyngeal culture is used to detect Bordetella pertussis, the organism that causes whooping cough. This bacteria tends to colonize the nasopharynx, especially early in the illness, so taking a swab from that area and attempting to culture it (or testing for its DNA) is the standard way to confirm infection. The other options don’t fit this specimen type: genetic defects are found with human genetic testing, not by culturing from the nasopharynx; encephalitis is brain inflammation and isn’t diagnosed through an NP culture; strep throat is typically diagnosed with a throat (pharyngeal) swab for Streptococcus pyogenes, not a nasopharyngeal culture.

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