When preparing a smear from a viscous and granular sample the microbiologist should:
A)add saline to the sample to thin out the specimen for smear preparation.
B)place some of the material in an enrichment broth and then use the broth for smear preparation.
C)use a sterile swab and roll it around in the material because it will be easier to roll the sample than to use a loop on the slide.
D)if the material is not able to be distributed using a sterile loop or swab,use a squash or crush prep to spread out sample.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If the sample is simply viscous,using a sterile swab to roll out the material is acceptable.However,if the sample contains granules,they must be crushed in order to identify organisms that may be trapped inside the material for both smear preparation and culture.Especially for smear preparation in the event the microorganisms enclosed are no longer viable or able to grow on the culture medium.

When Preparing a Smear from a Viscous and Granular Sample