Laboratory

A hands-on laboratory is integral to the Medical Microbiology course. The laboratory begins with basics of Microbiology, such as streaking for isolation and gram staining. The remainder of the laboratory is based on case vignettes; an example follows.

Case 1.
Patient is a 23 y.o. male who presents to his family physician complaining of painful urination and urethral discharge. Patient has had casual unprotected sex over the last 6 months.

Gram stain of his urethral discharge

Based on the clinical history and laboratory finding, what is your presumptive diagnosis? What would you do to confirm this diagnosis? If this were a cervical specimen, would you make the same diagnosis?