Application of stains in clinical microbiology

Biotech Histochem. 2001 May;76(3):119-25.

Abstract

Stains have been used for diagnosing infectious diseases since the late 1800s. The Gram stain remains the most commonly used stain because it detects and differentiates a wide range of pathogens. The next most commonly used diagnostic technique is acid-fast staining that is used primarily to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other severe infections. Many infectious agents grow slowly on culture media or may not grow at all; stains may be the only method to detect these organisms in clinical specimens. In the hands of experienced clinical microscopists, stains provide rapid and cost-effective information for preliminary diagnosis of infectious diseases. A review of the most common staining methods used in the clinical microbiology laboratory is presented here.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Acridine Orange
  • Animals
  • Bacterial Infections / diagnosis
  • Bacterial Infections / microbiology*
  • Coloring Agents*
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Fungi / isolation & purification
  • Humans
  • Microbiology
  • Mycoses / microbiology*
  • Mycoses / pathology
  • Parasitic Diseases / parasitology*
  • Parasitic Diseases / pathology

Substances

  • Coloring Agents
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Acridine Orange