Fungal Culture
Test Code
CXFUN
Description
Fungal culture is used to determine if mold and/or yeast (or Nocardia spp, if growth occurs). are causing an infection in various sources.
Collect
Abscess: Clean the skin with 70% alcohol. Collect with syringe. If the abscess is open, a swab can be used if necessary.
Bone marrow: Collected in heparinized syringe or lysis-centrifugation tube.
Bronchoscopy: Collected via procedure in sterile container.
Hair: Remove a few hair follicles with tweezers. Collect loose hair with comb. Place in sterile container.
Nail: Clip or scrape the nail into a sterile container.
Non-sterile fluid: Collected via aspiration into sterile container.
Scalp: Gently scrape the infected area into a sterile container.
Skin: Disinfect area with 70% alcohol. Obtain from the edge of the lesion. Place in sterile container.
Sinus: Aspiration. Swabs are not acceptable.
Sputum: First morning sputum in sterile container.
Sterile fluid: Collected via procedure pertaining to given site into sterile container.
Tissue: Clean skin with 70% alcohol. Collect tissue from the peripheral edge of the lesion, place in sterile container.
Urine: Clean-catch, suprapubic aspiration, or catheter in sterile container
Patient Prep
Avoid antibiotic administration prior to sample collection.
Unacceptable Conditions
- Specimens received outside of temperature storage requirements
- Specimens received outside of stability time frame
- Specimens received in formalin
- Specimens in non-sterile containers
- Specimens in expired transport media
- Specimens from a source not acceptable for this testing
- Specimens that do not meet the minimum volume requirement
- Specimens that are excessively leaking
- Mislabeled or unlabeled specimen (exception with attestation for specimens from irretrievable source, i.e tissue or bone)
Stability
|
Source of Specimen |
Temperature |
Recommended Stability |
Maximum Stability |
Note |
|
Sterile fluids: pleural, peritoneal, pericardial, ascites, amniotic, culdocentesis, synovial fluids, cerebrospinal fluid, and bone marrow Deep Wounds: Tissue/biopsies, abscess aspirates, fine needle aspirates |
Room temperature (20-25°C) |
ASAP |
≤24 hours |
Do not refrigerate |
|
Respiratory: Expectorated/ induced sputum, bronchial wash, BAL, sinus, nasal washing Non-sterile fluids: Abscesses, boils, cysts Superficial wounds: Cuts, ulcers, burns, cellulitis Urine |
Room temperature (20-25°C) |
≤2 hours |
≤2 hours |
|
|
Refrigerated (2-8°C) |
N/A |
≤ 24 hours |
||
|
Dermatology:
Scalp, hair, skin, nail
|
Room temperature (20-25°C) |
≤2 hours |
7 days |
|
Performed
7 days a week from 8am to 6pm
Methodology
Fungal culture for yeasts and molds. Growth of yeasts will be identified with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Molds will be identified using microscopic morphology if possible, or else sent to a reference laboratory for complete identification.
Turnaround Time
28 days
Department
Microbiology Lab
Synonyms
Mycology culture, yeast identification, mold identification
Study Offerings
RUO
CAP/CLIA
Reference Interval
- No growth
- Rare yeast
Interpretation
- Yeast in quantities more than rare will be reported
- Any amount of molds and Nocardia will be reported.
CPT Code
87102
New York Approved
FDA Approved or Cleared
Standard
FDA
Approved or Cleared
Standard Method