<![CDATA[Reliable microbiological testing depends in part on the ability of culture media to support bacterial isolation and the observation of colony characteristics. This study aimed to evaluate differences in bacterial growth from rectal swab specimens stored on Blood Agar Plates at 2–8 °C for varying durations. A laboratory-based experimental study was conducted using 30 Blood Agar Plates divided into three storage-duration groups: 0, 7, and 14 days. Thirty rectal swab specimens were inoculated onto the plates and incubated at 35–37°C for 24 hours. The number of bacterial colonies was assessed as the primary quantitative outcome, while colony size, distribution, color, and hemolytic pattern were evaluated descriptively. Data were analyzed using One-Way ANOVA followed by Tukey's test. The number of bacterial colonies differed significantly among the three storage-duration groups. The highest mean colony count was observed in the 7-day group, while the 14-day group showed the lowest mean count, with significant differences across all pairwise comparisons. The findings indicate a nonlinear relationship between storage duration and bacterial recovery. The substantially lower bacterial recovery after 14 days highlights the importance of controlling the duration of culture medium storage as part of laboratory quality assurance. Further research using standardized bacterial inocula and physicochemical assessments is needed to establish validated storage limits.]]>
Copyrights © 2026
