Laboratory Lab results are too important to go anywhere else.

Culture, Candida

Fungal, fungus, fungi, yeast, thrush, vaginitis, vaginosis

Test Codes

EPIC: LAB8507

Department

Microbiology

Instructions

These are cultures are intended for the isolation and identification of Candida species such as C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. krusei, and C. glabrata.

Specimen Collection Criteria

Collect: One of the following specimens:

Mouth, Throat, Tongue, Rectal, or Vaginal: Submit specimen in a sterile container, Amies transport medium (ESwab) or Red BBL CultureSwab media.

Stool: Submit stool specimen, about the size of a walnut, in Para-Pak/Cary-Blair transport medium (orange top).

Physician Office/Draw Specimen Preparation

Place specimen in a transport container immediately and maintain at room temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F) prior to specimen pickup.

Preparation for Courier Transport

Transport: All specimen types at room temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F).

Rejection Criteria

• Specimens submitted in containers that contain formalin or have previously contained formalin.
• Specimens in non-sterile or leaking containers.
• Desiccated (dry) samples/swabs.
• Specimens that have been delayed in transit (greater than 24 hours from time of collection).

Inpatient Specimen Preparation

Transport specimen to the Laboratory immediately after collection.

In-Lab Processing

If a surgical culture is ordered on an inappropriate site/source or collection device, the order will be changed to match the appropriate test code.

Storage

Specimen Stability for Testing:

Room Temperature: (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F): 24 hours
Refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F): 24 hours
Frozen (-20°C/-4°F or below): Unacceptable

Specimen Storage in Department Prior to Disposal:

Refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F): 4 days

Laboratory

Dearborn Microbiology Laboratory
Taylor, Trenton and Wayne sent to Dearborn Microbiology Laboratory for testing.

Royal Oak Microbiology Laboratory
Farmington Hills, Grosse Pointe, and Troy sent to Royal Oak Microbiology Laboratory for testing.

Performed

Sunday – Saturday, 24 hours a day.
Preliminary results available in 24 hours.

Reference Range

Negative – No Candida sp. recovered.

Test Methodology

Culture (chromogenic agar) and identification (if applicable).

Interpretation

The recovery of Candida spp. from an appropriate, properly collected specimen may be indicative of an infectious disease process.

Clinical Utility

Identification of Candida spp. in clinical specimens may aid the physician in diagnosing and treating a patient.

Reference

1. Odds, F.C., and R. Bernaerts. 1994. CHROMagar Candida, a new differential isolation medium for presumptive identification of clinically important Candida species. J. Clin. Microbiol. 32:1923-1929.
2. Pfaller, M.A., A. Huston, and S. Coffman. 1996. Application of CHROMagar Candida for rapid screening of clinical specimens for Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida krusei, and Candida (Torulopsis) glabrata. J. Clin. Microbiol. 34:56-61.

CPT Codes

87081. Additional charges will be incurred for identification.

Contacts

Last Updated

10/9/2023