Sensitivity analysis determines the effectiveness of antibiotics against microorganisms such as bacteria that have been isolated from cultures.

Sensitivity analysis may be performed along with:

• Blood culture
• Clean catch urine culture or catheterized specimen urine culture
• Sputum culture
• Culture from endocervix
• Throat culture
• Wound and other cultures

Colonies of microorganisms are combined with different antibiotics to see how well each antibiotic stops each colony from growing. The test determines the effectiveness of each antibiotic against a particular organism.

There is no special preparation.

The way the test feels depends upon the method used for obtaining the specific culture.

The test shows which antibiotic drugs should be used to treat an infection.

If the organism shows drug resistance to the antibiotics used in the test, then those antibiotics will not be effective treatment.

The risks depend upon the method used for obtaining the specific culture.