Public Health Emergency Preparedness
This resource was part of AHRQ's Public Health Emergency Preparedness program, which was discontinued on June 30, 2011, in a realignment of Federal efforts.
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Table 4.4a. Diagnostic Tests for Anthrax
|
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
|
Table 4.4b. Adjunctive Diagnostic Tests for Anthrax
| 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 lymphadenopathy; 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. |
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