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KOH Prep (Skin, Hair, Nails)
Test CodeLab2333
Alias/See Also
KOH Prep for Fungus
CPT Codes
87220
Preferred Specimen
Skin, hair, or nail specimens
Instructions
Cutaneous scrapings from skin, hair, or nails collected as follows:
Skin
1. Scrape dry skin around lesion.
2. Place scrapings in a sterile dish.
3. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.
Hair
1. Pull out several dead hairs (will pull out easily without pain and may be coated).
2. Place hair in a sterile dish.
3. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.
Nails
1. Do not send clippings. Scrape flat surface of nail with blade until you get down to infected part which will generally be crumbly or cheesy.
2. Place scrapings in a sterile dish.
3. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.
Skin
1. Scrape dry skin around lesion.
2. Place scrapings in a sterile dish.
3. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.
Hair
1. Pull out several dead hairs (will pull out easily without pain and may be coated).
2. Place hair in a sterile dish.
3. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.
Nails
1. Do not send clippings. Scrape flat surface of nail with blade until you get down to infected part which will generally be crumbly or cheesy.
2. Place scrapings in a sterile dish.
3. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.
Transport Container
Sterile container
Transport Temperature
Ambient
Specimen Stability
Ambient – 7 days
Reject Criteria (Eg, hemolysis? Lipemia? Thaw/Other?)
Improper labeling
Improper transport of specimen
Improper transport of specimen
Methodology
Manual
Setup Schedule
Daily
Reference Range
No fungal elements
Clinical Significance
Potassium hydroxide is used as a clearing agent for observing and identifying fungal elements in clinical specimens such as skin, hair, and nails.
Performing Laboratory
Meritus Microbiology
