Question

Analysis of the second swab has confirmed that the causative organism is Streptococcus pyogenes, a gram-positive organism. Imagine that you are the technician looking at the Gram stain from Shelly's culture. What would you expect to see as you look through the microscope?
- pink, rod-shaped organisms arranged in pairs
- purple, spherical-shaped organisms arranged in grapelike clusters
- pink, spherical-shaped organisms arranged in chainlike formations
- purple, spherical-shaped organisms arranged in chainlike formations

Answer 1

Answer: The technician would expect to see "purple, spherical-shaped organisms arranged in chainlike formations." This will give the gram stain confirmation of having streptococcus pyogenes. With the confirmation, the patient can receive antibiotics to kill off the bacterial organisms. Usually, penicillin is given in these cases unless the patient is allergic.

The technician is taught in school how to look for each strain since it is important to diagnosis this correctly. If the gram stain had of been pink or purple with grapelike clusters, it would have not of been Strep and there would have been a different diagnosis.

Bacteria strains are different shapes, various sizes, and can be found in multiple arrangements.  Since the wall of the cell is rigid, the bacteria will not lose the shape. The bacteria have to separate parts,  the shape and how they are arranged. When there are grape-like structures it indicates staphylo. The chains will  indicate the presence of strepto. The shapes that are rods will be bacilli, the spiral ones will be spirillum, and the sphere shapes are cocci.