An ear drainage culture is a laboratory test to check for infection-causing substances in a sample of fluid, pus, wax, or blood from the ear.

See also: Ear drainage

Culture - ear drainage

A sample of ear drainage is needed. Your health care provider will use a cotton swab to collect the sample from inside the outer ear canal. In some cases, a sample is collected from the middle ear during ear surgery.

The sample is sent to a laboratory and placed on a special dish (culture media).

The lab team checks the dish every day to see if bacteria, fungi, or viruses have grown. Further tests may be done to specifically identify any substances and determine the best treatment.

No preparation is needed for a lab culture.

No pain is associated with using a cotton swab to take a sample of drainage from the outer ear. However, ear pain may be present if the ear is infected.

Ear surgery is performed under general anesthesia, which means you are asleep and feel no pain. See: myringotomy.

The test may be done if you or your child has:

• An ear infection that is not responding to treatment
• An infection of the outer ear (otitis externa)
• An ear infection with a ruptured eardrum and draining fluid

It may also be done as a routine part of myringotomy.

Note: Ear infections are diagnosed based on symptoms rather than using a culture.

Images

Medical findings based on ear anatomy

Ear anatomy

Ear drainage culture

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Ear drainage culture Results

Review Date: 07/26/2010
Reviewed By: Daniel Levy, MD, PhD, Infectious Diseases, Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)