Final answer:
A skin culture is performed to identify the pathogen causing a skin infection, aiding in the accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of the infection. By culturing the sample and conducting various tests, healthcare providers can determine the appropriate antibiotics to combat the infection. The correct option is A. It identifies the organism causing a skin infection.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of a skin culture is to identify the organism causing a skin infection. During this process, a sample from the affected skin area is placed on a medium that supports the growth of bacteria, fungi, or viruses. Over time, the pathogen can multiply and become easier to identify. Once the offending organism is cultured, it can be subjected to various tests, like antibiotic susceptibility testing, to determine the best course of treatment.
A skin culture is essential in diagnosing bacterial infections of the skin. This helps doctors to prescribe the right antibiotics to treat the infection effectively. Techniques such as observing the bacterial colonies' appearance, cellular properties, and metabolic functions are used to investigate and identify the specific pathogen responsible for the infection.
For example, Staphylococcus species, a common cause of skin infections, forms distinctive grapelike clusters that can be identified in a culture observed under the microscope. Tests like the catalase test help differentiate between closely related species, further assisting in the accurate diagnosis of skin infections. Therefore, a skin culture does not determine the presence of systemic infection or skin cancer but is a targeted method to identify the cause of a skin infection. The correct option is A. It identifies the organism causing a skin infection.