Fungal cultures are a very popular diagnostic treatment that is performed by testing specimens collected from patients in order to detect or rule out the presence of fungi in their system. Ringworm is one of the most common examples of conditions that rely heavily on the diagnostic nature of fungal cultures. This would require the sample to be taken from an area of the body that is in close proximity to the site of infection. The doctor will request a fungal test to be conducted whenever he or she suspects that the patient is suffering from a fungal infection. You may also be asked to have it done on a regular basis in order to gauge the effectiveness of the treatment being conducted. Some of the more common symptoms that will prompt the doctor to request the fungal culture test include the presence of itchy, red scales all over the skin, white patches in the mouth (also known as thrush), yeast infections such as vaginal itching and discharge. Fungal cultures can use samples such as skin, nails, bodily fluids, vagina swabs as well as sputum and blood that need to be inoculated into the nutrient media and incubated to be able to grow in any fungi sample.
Whenever a doctor orders a culture test, he or she will need to specify the type of organism that is suspected of being the cause. If the doctor is unsure of what the causing organism is, a number of cultures, such as a tissue culture on an unusual looking rash may be ordered. Once the culture has identified the causing organism, the organism may be exposed to a variety of medications in order to try and identify what the most effective medication is.
A blood culture is another variant of the procedure that is used to find an infection in the blood. This is possible only when the immune system is significantly weak and will occur most often in infants and older adults. The procedure is conducted by first extracting a sample of the individual's blood with the help of a syringe being inserted into the vein in the arm of the affected individual. Another few samples are taken from different veins in the body, primarily to make sure that no bacteria or fungus has been missed. The blood culture is declared to be negative if there is no bacterium or fungal growth
Submitted by M T on April 7, 2010 at 10:35