Overview
Bacterial nutrition in the clinical laboratory refers to the nutrients and growth factors an organism must obtain from media or host-derived materials to form detectable colonies.
Classification
| Class | Media need | Example pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Nonfastidious | Blood / MacConkey / nutrient | Multi-plate growth |
| Fastidious | Chocolate / enriched | Enriched-only growth |
| X/V dependent | Chocolate or factor supply | Haemophilus-compatible pattern |
| Specialty needs | Defined supplements per SOP | Indication-specific media |
Morphologic Features
Nutrition is inferred from growth distribution across media, not from a unique Gram appearance. Always correlate with morphology.
Laboratory Characteristics
- Compare blood vs chocolate vs selective plates
- Note satellitism when observed
- Use enrichment broths when SOP indicates
- Document factor-test results if performed
Reference Intervals
Not numeric. Specialty media inventories and factor-test methods vary by laboratory menu, verify locally.
Clinical and Laboratory Significance
Nutritional patterns narrow the organism group and justify confirmatory testing. They do not replace validated identification.
Differential Considerations
Distinguish true factor dependence from atmosphere mismatch, antibiotic carryover inhibiting growth on some plates, and uneven inoculum.
Comparison Tables
Nutrition pattern → action
| Pattern | Suggests | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate only + CO₂ | Fastidious (e.g., Haemophilus-group) | Validated ID pathway |
| Blood + MacConkey | Nonfastidious GNB possible | Enteric/nonfermenter workup as indicated |
| All plates negative, smear+ | Nutrition/atmosphere/viability issues | SOP troubleshooting |
Classification Frameworks
Not applicable.
Laboratory Notes
- Hedge institutional specialty media menus
- Do not name species from nutrition pattern alone
- No treatment selection from fastidious status
References
Authoritative textbooks, guidelines, and reviews supporting this reference entry. Verify reference intervals, critical limits, and reflex criteria against institutional protocols and current guideline editions.
Textbooks
- Forbes BA, Sahm DF, Weissfeld AS. Bailey & Scott's Diagnostic Microbiology. 15th ed. Elsevier; 2020.
- Mahon CR, Lehman DC, Manuselis G. Textbook of Diagnostic Microbiology. 6th ed. Elsevier; 2018.
- Carroll KC, Hobden JA, Miller S, et al. Jawetz, Melnick, & Adelberg's Medical Microbiology. 28th ed. McGraw-Hill; 2019.
- Murray PR, Rosenthal KS, Pfaller MA. Medical Microbiology. 9th ed. Elsevier; 2021.
CLSI and Professional Guidelines
- Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing. CLSI document M100 (verify current edition and institutional adoption).
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / NIH. Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL). Current edition (verify institutional adoption).
Frequently Asked Questions
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