Why Do Culture Results Take So Long? [video]

One of the most common questions I get after obtaining a culture of pus whether from the ear or the nose is how long it takes before the culture results are back... especially when MRSA is a concern.

Does it take a few hours? 24 hours? Days?

Disappointingly, it can take up to 5+ days if not longer.

You want to know why?

Well, rather than explaining, watch a 6-minute video that explains the numerous steps that goes into providing a diagnosis after a culture has been obtained... in this particular case, ear drainage though the same steps apply to any culture obtained from anywhere else in the body.

Special thanks to Robin Earl who spent hours hanging out in the microbiology lab video-taping all the relevant video clips as well as Fauquier Health for allowing this video to be made!

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Why Do Biopsy Results Take So Long? [video]

One of the most common questions I get after a surgical procedure is how long it takes before biopsy results are back... especially when a mass was removed and there is a cancer concern.

Does it take a few hours? 24 hours? Days?

Disappointingly, it can take up to 7 days if not longer.

You want to know why?

Well, rather than explaining, watch a 6-minute video that explains the numerous steps that goes into providing a diagnosis after a mass is removed... in this particular case, a neck mass though the same steps apply to any mass removed from anywhere else in the body.

Special thanks to Robin Earl who spent hours hanging out in the pathology lab video-taping all the relevant video clips as well as Fauquier Health System for allowing this video to be made!

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How Long Does it Take for a Cough to Clear Up?

Hypothetically speaking, how long would it take for a cough to clear up if a person comes down with an acute respiratory infection?

According to a telephone survey of 493 adults, the lay-public expect the cough to clear up in 7 to 9 days.

Now, is this one week guess actually true?

Not at all... In reality, it takes about 17.8 days on average.

This number was determined on a recent study that reviewed 19 prior studies that determined how long a cough lasts for.

It should also be mentioned that taking antibiotics does little to shorten this duration, especially given most upper respiratory infections are due to viruses.

In any case, the disconnect between patient expectations and reality in cough duration probably leads to some frustration between physicians and their patients.


Reference:
How Long Does a Cough Last? Comparing Patients’ Expectations With Data From a Systematic Review of the Literature. Annals of Family Medicine. doi: 10.1370/afm.1430 Ann Fam Med January/February 2013 vol. 11 no. 1 5-13

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