Fungus Culture

Fungal Smear (Calcofluor) and Culture for Yeast and Molds

NOTE: If vaginal or mouth and only Yeast culture is necessary please alert the laboratory and incubation time will be shortened.

Specimen Type: Body fluid
Collection Container: Sterile container
Specimen Volume: Entire collection

Specimen Type: Bone marrow
Collection Container: Sterile container, or green top ( sodium heparin)
Specimen Volume: Entire collection

Specimen Type: Fresh tissue
Collection Container: Sterile container
Specimen Volume: Pea sized

Specimen Type: Respiratory specimen
Collection Container: Sterile container
Specimen Volume: Entire collection

Specimen Type: Swab
Sources: Dermal, earl, mouth, ocular, throat, wound
Collection Container: E-Swab
Specimen Volume: Swab

Specimen Type: Urine
Collection Container: Sterile container
Specimen Volume: 2 mL

•2mL CSF •2mL Body Fluid •1 ESwab with Liquid Amies Medium •2mL Respiratory sample •5mL Bone Marrow in Green Top (heparin) tube •Corneal Eye Scraping •Pea size amount of tissue

• Abscess/Drainage/Wound: Using sterile technique, collect from the advancing margin of the lesion. Transport in a capped syringe without needle or sterile container. Swab samples are also acceptable but may result in decreased recovery of fungi and false negative result due to low collection volume
• Bone Marrow: Collect 5ml in Green Top (heparin) tube
• Eye (corneal scraping): Corneal scraping should be inoculated onto media at the time of collection. The physician should contact the laboratory to obtain appropriate slides and culture media (for fungal and bacterial culture as necessary). Agar media should be inoculated by lightly touching both sides of the spatula in a row of separate C streak marks
• Eye (conjunctiva): Using sterile swab moistened with saline (or ESwab with Liquid Amies Medium) to collect sample. Since normal flora may be present consider sampling the uninfected eye to serve as a control to compare agents isolated from the infected eye.
• Eye (intraocular fluid): Collect in sterile container
• Sterile Fluids (CSF, Pleural, Pericardial, Joint, Peritoneal): Collect a minimum of 2ml in a sterile container.
• Respiratory Samples (Upper- Oral, Oropharyngeal, Sinus): Collect sinus samples surgically. Utilize swab collection devices for oral lesions and oropharynx
• Respiratory Samples (Lower- Sputum, Bronchial Aspirate, Bronchial Brush, BAL): After brushing teeth, collect 3 first morning sputum from a deep cough. Collect other samples following standard protocols. Transport in sterile container.
• Tissue/Biopsy: Collect tissue and transport in sterile container with a small amount (<1ml) of sterile non-bacteriostatic saline to prevent drying
• Other samples- Submit in sterile container, ESwab with Liquid Amies Medium is also acceptable but may result in decreased recovery of fungi and false negative result due to low sample volume

Final Negative Report Issued After 4 weeks