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During the skill-building session in microbiology the students need to stain the prepared and fixed sputum smears obtained from a tuberculosis patient. What staining technique should be used in this case?

  • A. Gram
  • B. Giemsa
  • C. Ziehl-Neelsen
  • D. Burri
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct staining technique for sputum smears obtained from a tuberculosis patient is Ziehl-Neelsen staining. This technique uses carbol fuchsin dye to stain the acid-fast bacteria, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, red. Here's a step-by-step rationale:
1. Ziehl-Neelsen staining is specifically designed to detect acid-fast bacteria like Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
2. Carbol fuchsin dye is used to penetrate the mycolic acid layer in the cell wall of the bacteria, making them resistant to decolorization.
3. Acid-alcohol is used as a decolorizer to remove the stain from non-acid-fast bacteria.
4. Methylene blue is used as a counterstain to visualize non-acid-fast bacteria in blue.
Therefore, Ziehl-Neelsen staining is the most appropriate technique for identifying Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum smears.
Other choices like Gram, Giemsa, and