MICROBIOLOGY REPORTING TERMINOLOGY
The following terminology is used when two or more of the organisms listed in a specific category appear in a specimen.
Mixed aerobic and anaerobic flora
More than 4 different aerobic, facultative aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, no predominant species.
Mixed anaerobic flora
More than 2 different anaerobic bacteria, no predominant species.
Mixed cervical-vaginal flora
Anaerobes* (if anaerobe culture was performed)
Corynebacterium sp.
Staphylococcus sp., coagulase-negative
Streptococcus sp. (except beta hemolytic streptococci)
Lactobacillus sp.
Enterobacteriaceae and other gram-negative rods*
Yeast*
Mixed cutaneous flora
Corynebacterium sp.
Bacillus sp.
Staphylococcus sp., coagulase-negative
Streptococcus sp. (except beta hemolytic Streptococci)
Yeast*
Mixed flora
Corynebacterium sp.
Staphylococcus sp., coagulase-negative
Streptococcus sp. (except beta hemolytic streptococci)
Lactobacillus sp.
Enterobacteriaceae*
Yeast*
Mixed gram-negative flora
2 or more different organisms, no predominant species
Mixed intestinal flora
Enterobacteriaceae
Pseudomonas sp.*
Streptococcus sp.
Staphylococcus sp., coagulase-negative
Yeast*
Mixed oropharyngeal flora
Corynebacterium sp. (except C. diphtheriae-requires special request)
Neisseria sp., (N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae-requires
special request)
Staphylococcus sp., coagulase-negative
Streptococcus sp. (except beta hemolytic streptococci and S. pneumoniae)
Yeast*
Haemophilus sp.*, Eikenella sp.*, Capnocytophaga sp.*
*In small numbers only
Frequently Used Terms
From broth only: no growth on primary plates, organisms seen by gram stain or subculture from enrichment broth only; no quantitation possible.
Hemadsorbing virus: screening test for viruses growing in tissue culture, suggest virus of influenza-, parainfluenza- or mumps-group.
Culture in Progress: culture is being examined and will be updated as more information becomes avaiable.
Insufficient growth: culture needs further incubation but is still in progress.