A triage nurse in the ER begins the assessment of an elderly patient complaining of bloody diarrhea and severe stomach cramps. The patient has a fever of 104oF as well, and is showing signs of dehydration. IV fluids are administered while further workup of the patient continues.
-Testing is performed on the specimen in the laboratory,including the Gram stain. This test separates bacteria into two broad classes: gram-positive and gram-negative. Which step in the staining process is the differential step,for it only acts upon one type of cell?

Question

A triage nurse in the ER begins the assessment of an elderly patient complaining of bloody diarrhea and severe stomach cramps. The patient has a fever of 104oF as well, and is showing signs of dehydration. IV fluids are administered while further workup of the patient continues.
-Testing is performed on the specimen in the laboratory,including the Gram stain. This test separates bacteria into two broad classes: gram-positive and gram-negative. Which step in the staining process is the differential step,for it only acts upon one type of cell?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Decolorization with alcohol is the differential step in the Gram staining process, where it only acts upon the gram-negative cell wall by removing the crystal violet-iodine complex from the outer membrane, leaving it colorless. Gram-positive cells retain the purple color after this step. The addition of Gram's iodine (mordant) and crystal violet stains all the cells, while the addition of safranin (counterstain) stains all the cells that were previously decolorized, allowing visualization of both gram-positive and gram-negative cells.

A Triage Nurse in the ER Begins the Assessment of an Elderly