A human milk lab test is a diagnostic tool that can be useful at certain times during lactation.
However, the protocols for indicating the culture are not yet very standardized, even so, it is increasingly recommended to perform a milk culture lab test in the following situations:

• Recurrent mastitis
• Mastitis that does not respond to empirical treatment
• Suspected subacute mastitis

For the milk culture to have the proper diagnostic value, the sample must be extracted, collected, and transported in the best conditions. For this purpose, we have prepared an infographic with the most important points to follow.

It is not uncommon to obtain inconsistent results when it comes to interpreting lab tests, and in most cases, this is due to inadequate sampling.

When sampling is done improperly, the lab test result loses its diagnostic value, and we waste time and money and of course, the mother’s health is put at risk by delaying therapeutic actions. That is why it is important to know and transmit the proper instructions to obtain the sample. The following infographic summarizes all the information necessary for a proper sample collection technique.

References

Mitchell KB, Johnson HM, Rodríguez JM, Eglash A, Scherzinger C, Zakarija-Grkovic I, Cash KW, Berens P, Miller B; Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Clinical Protocol #36: The Mastitis Spectrum, Revised 2022. Breastfeed Med. 2022 May;17(5):360-376. doi: 10.1089/bfm.2022.29207.kbm. Erratum in: Breastfeed Med. 2022 Nov;17(11):977-978. doi: 10.1089/bfm.2022.29207.kbm.correx. PMID: 35576513.

Delgado S, García-Garrote F, Padilla B, Rodríguez Gómez JM, Romero B. Diagnóstico microbiológico de la infección bacteriana asociada al parto y al puerperio. 54. Padilla B (coordinadora). Procedimientos en Microbiología Clínica. Cercenado Mansilla E, Cantón Moreno R (editores). Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica (SEIMC). 2015