Fungal Testing and Organisms 1 Flashcards
(15 cards)
What are eukaryotic organisms?
contain a rigid wall composed of chitin and glucan. cell membrane contains ergosterol
What are the two major fungi groups?
yeasts and molds
describe yeast
most will grow on routine culture in 24-48 hours. will gram stain gram positive. they reproduce with budding.
describe molds
they produce hyphae: tube-like structures. reproduce asexually with spores. do not stain well with gram stain.
What is unique about a mold culture?
It requires special media. mold is held for 4-6 weeks.
Describe the specimen collection for hair.
scrap scalp with blunt scapula. the following specimens are also acceptable: hair stubs, plugged follicles, skin scales, hair plucked via forceps. CUT HAIR IS NOT ACCEPTABLE
Describe the specimen collection for skin
cleanse skin with approved antiseptic. scrap with scalpel and place in dry container transport at ambient room temperature.
What are acceptable nail samples?
scrapings, clippings, deep scrapings under nails
Ordering a fungal culture in blood requires…
a specific order. one culture taken per day. antiseptic techniques used.
How do you collect urine, sputum, and body fluids?
the same way as bacteria.
What are the 3 stains available to detect specimens?
gram = detects yeast, silver= detects yeast and fungal elements, calcoflour= fluorescent stain
What is a KOH prep?
KOH dissolves keratin material making fungal structures easier to see. it is a rapid test, often performed as a point of care test.
Can you use antigen detection to see if there is fungi?
yes. It usually gets rapid results: reported as positive eor neg. an example is cryptococcus neoformans.
When is nucleic acid testing usually performed?
for organisms that require long incubation periods or serious disease states.
When is there an interim report for a fungal culture?
after 48 hours, but it can take longer to grow. it may not be necessary to order a fungal culture for common fungal organisms.
