|
Anthrax Type |
Diagnostic Tests |
|---|---|
|
Cutaneous |
Vesicular fluid and blood culture (anaerobic and aerobic) |
|
Inhalational |
Blood culture, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), chest radiograph, computer tomography (CT) scan |
|
Gastrointestinal |
Blood culture |
|
Test |
Comments |
|---|---|
|
Complete Blood Count (CBC) |
White blood cell (WBC) count may be normal or slightly increased. Increased neutrophils or band forms common. Leukopenia or lymphocytosis does not support diagnosis of anthrax. |
|
Chest radiograph |
Frequently abnormal in inhalational anthrax; may show signs of mediastinal widening, paratracheal or hilar fullness, pleural effusions, pulmonary infiltrates (uni- or multilobar), and mediastinal lymphandenopathy; changes may be subtle and better defined on chest CT. |
|
Nasal swab |
May assist in epidemiologic investigations but should not be relied on as a guide for prophylaxis or treatment of individual patients. |