| Approval req'd? |
Approval required for urine, joint fluid, abdominal fluid and CSF (see Cryptococcus & Coccidioides) |
| Available Stat? |
No |
| Test code |
P256 |
| Test group |
Fungal Culture |
| Performed by |
Microbiology |
| In House Availability |
Set up daily, day and evening shifts |
| Method |
Culture |
| Collection Instructions |
Swab specimens are not acceptable as they have very low fungal yields. |
| Container type |
| Body fluid, Tissue, BAL |
Sterile container |
|
Sputum |
Clean container (urine cup) |
|
Bone marrow |
Isolator tube (available from Microbiology Room 2230) |
|
| Amount to Collect |
| BAL |
10-20 mL |
|
Tissue |
5 mm3 |
|
Urine |
10-20 mL |
|
Body fluid |
5-10 mL |
|
Sputum |
> 1 mL |
|
Bone marrow |
0.75 mL |
|
| Sample type |
Tissue, BAL, Sputum, Body fluid, Urine, Bone marrow |
| Preferred volume |
| BAL |
10-20 mL |
|
Tissue |
5 mm3 |
|
Urine |
10-20 mL |
|
Body fluid |
5-10 mL |
|
Sputum |
> 1 mL |
|
Bone marrow |
0.75 mL |
|
| Min. Volume |
| Tissue |
3 mm3 |
|
BAL, Urine, Body fluid |
5 mL |
|
Sputum |
1 mL |
|
Bone marrow |
0.5 mL |
|
| UCSF Rejection Criteria |
Samples on swabs, stool samples |
| Normal range |
No fungus isolated |
| Critical value |
Biphasic fungus (e.g. Coccidiodes immitis) isolated. Zygomycete (e.g. mucormycosis) isolated. Positive cultures from CSF. |
| Synonyms |
H. capsulatum; Histoplasma capsulatum |
| Stability |
Refrigerated 24 hours |
| Turn around times |
Up to 30 days |
| Additional information |
Includes KOH-Calcofluor White Stain, except on urine and bone marrow.
For diagnosis of yeast and Cryptococcal meningitis, recommended tests are: CSF bacterial culture (yeast, including Cryptococcus neoformans grow well on routine bacterial culture) CSF and serum Cryptococcal Antigen (CrAg)
The yield of CSF cultures for other dimorphic fungi and invasive molds, including Aspergillus, Blastomyces, Histoplasma and the Zygomycetes (Mucor and Rhizopus) is extremely low. Tissue biopsy, if possible, is the recommended specimen for fungal diagnosis by culture. |
| CPT coding |
| Fungal culture |
87102 |
|
KOH (If performed) |
87206 |
|
| LOINC code |
580-1 |
| Last Updated |
5/22/2013 11:09:50 AM |
| Entry Number |
404 |
