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Test Code LAB4305 Fungal Culture Misc Sources

Important Note

Gram Stain for fungal elements is included with test.

Test Performed By

Cayuga Medical Center, Main Laboratory

Container Name

Sterile Container (STER CONT)

Day(s) and Time(s) Test Performed

Monday through Sunday; Continuously

List Price

$165.00

CPT Codes

87102

Specimen Collection Instructions

Body fluid, Tissue or Respiratory: Submit in sterile container. Store 7 days refrigerated (preferred) or ambient.

 

Bone Marrow: Sterile Container, Green Top (lithium or sodium heparin). Store 7 days refrigerated (preferred) or ambient.

 

Wound, Genital: Culturette swab (double-swab preferred). Store 72 hours refrigerated (preferred) or ambient.
 

Stool: Cary-Blair preservative vial (preferred). Store 4 days room temperature or refrigerated. Raw stool must be preserved in Cary-Blair vial within 2 hours of collection.
 

CSF: Sterile container. Store 7 days refrigerated or ambient.

 

Urine: Gray top tube 48 hours. Sterile Container (unpreserved) 2 hours room temperature or 24 hours refrigerated.

 

Transport specimens to laboratory as soon as possible for processing.

 

Urine Collection Guide 

 

Stool Collection Guide

 

Sputum Collection Guide

 

Fungal Collection Guide

Clinical and Interpretive

 

Fungi can be pathogens, colonizers, or contaminants. Correlation of the patient clinical condition with culture results is necessary.

 

Many fungi in the environment cause disease in immunocompromised human hosts. Accordingly, the range of potential pathogenic fungi has increased as the number of immunosuppressed individuals (eg, persons with AIDS, patients receiving chemotherapy or transplant rejection therapy) has increased. Isolation and identification of the infecting fungus in the clinical laboratory can help guide patient care.

 

Positive cultures of yeast and filamentous fungi are reported with the organism identification. The clinician must determine whether or not the presence of an organism is significant.

 

Nocardia and the other aerobic actinomycetes are not fungi and, therefore, a fungal culture should not be ordered. These organisms grow well on mycobacterial medium and therefore ordering a mycobacterial culture is recommended when infection with this group of organisms is suspected.

 

Aseptic techniques should be used when collecting specimens to minimize contamination. For optimal recovery of organisms, sufficient clinical material should be collected.