A 25-year-old with sustained step-ladder fever for 6 days has a negative Widal test. Which specimen offers the best culture yield at this stage of enteric fever?
- A Blood culture ✓
- B Urine culture
- C Stool culture
- D Bone marrow culture
Correct answer: A. Blood culture
Explanation
Blood culture has its highest sensitivity in the first week of enteric fever, during the bacteraemic phase, so it is the optimal specimen on day 6. Stool and urine cultures become more productive in the second and third weeks, and bone marrow culture, though the most sensitive overall and useful after antibiotics, is reserved for cases where blood culture has failed or antibiotics were already taken.
Reference: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 21st ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.