pneumococcal-disease-tests
Reviewed
Pneumococcal disease tests look for pneumococcus bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae) in body fluids such as blood, urine, sputum, or cerebrospinal fluid. These tests help diagnose infections that can range from mild (ear or sinus infections) to severe (pneumonia, bloodstream infection, meningitis). Your provider will decide which test(s) you need based on your symptoms.
Preparation and collection
For most pneumococcal disease tests, you don't need any special preparation. Talk to your provider about any special preparations. You may need to fast (not eat or drink) before the test or stop taking certain medicines. Do not stop taking any medicines unless your provider tells you to.
Understanding this test
Use the reference interval and units printed by the laboratory that performed the test. A result outside that interval is not a diagnosis by itself, and a result inside it does not rule out every condition. Your symptoms, history, medicines, timing, and related tests can change what the result means.
- Results depend on the quality and site of the sample collected.
- A negative result does not completely rule out pneumococcal disease if the sample was not from the infected site.
- Some pneumococcal bacteria may be resistant to certain antibiotics; additional testing may be needed to guide treatment.
What to do next
If you have questions about your results, talk to your provider. They may also order other tests such as a chest x-ray, complete blood count (CBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), or C-reactive protein (CRP) test to help make a diagnosis.
Evidence source
U.S. National Library of Medicine: pneumococcal-disease-tests