Test Code LAB12007 Fungus Culture
Department
MICROBIOLOGY
Collection Requirements
Call 583-6755 for special fungal collection kit. Indicate source.
Special insructions:
1.Skin scraping, wash infected area wih 70% alcohol (or sterile water if the lesion is tender or painful) to remove surface contaminants. Scrape active border of the lesion with a sterile blade and place in a sterile container. The top of vesicular lesions may be removed by small curved manicure scissors or with a scalpel and placed in a sterile container.
2.Nail scraping, collect scrapings or nail clippings near the bed of the nail and place in a sterile container.
3.Hair, pluck out the basal portion of the hair with tweezers as the fungi is found in this area and place in a sterile container.
4. Urine, early morning, clean catch, mid-stream specimen.
5. CSF, collected in the same manner as other CSF specimens and transported in a sterile CSF collection tube.
6. Sputum, first morning specimen, collected in the same manner as other sputum specimens.
7. Tissue/Abcess/Pus, collected by physician unless easily obained, placed in a sterile container.
Submit all specimens within 2 hours of collection.
Primary Collection Container
Sterile Container
Transport
Refrigerated
Preferred Transport Temperature
Refrigerated
Processing
None
Stability
Refrigerated: 24 hours
Minimum Testing Volume
5.0 mL
Reference Range
No Growth
Methodology
Culture
Performed
Sunday – Saturday
6:00 am – 11:00 pm
Reported
6 weeks
CPT Codes
87102; Identification and susceptability tests may be billed separately from culture.
Unacceptable Conditions
Specimens delayed in transit.
Pooled urine or sputum.
24 hour urine specimens are not acceptable.