Gastric culture

Anytime a naso-gastric tube is inserted down the back of the throat, there is a small chance that the tube will enter the trachea instead of the esophagus. If this happens, your child may cough, gasp, and have trouble breathing. This is reversed by taking the tube out. There is also a small chance that some of the stomach contents may enter the lung.

A preliminary test, called an "AFB smear," will be performed immediately on the sample, and if the results are positive, treatment is usually started right away. A negative AFB smear result, however, does not rule out tuberculosis.

The final results of the gastric culture test may not be known for 6 weeks, as it may take that long for the tuberculosis microoganism to grow. Your physician will decide whether to start treatment before the test results are known.

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