KOH Preparation
| Sunquest Code: | KOH | ||
| Epic Code: | LAB251 | Epic Name: | KOH Prep |
| Synonyms: | Fungal Smear; Potassium Hydroxide Preparation; Fungus | ||
| Methodology: | Direct examination after 20% KOH hydrolysis of protein debris and cells. | ||
| Test Includes: | Direct examination of specimen for fungal elements. | ||
| Turnaround Time: | Performed 24 hours/day, results are reported within 4 hours. | ||
| Special Instructions: | The same specimen may be submitted for bacterial and fungal culture and KOH wet mount. | ||
Collection Instructions
| Specimen: | Sputum, bronchial aspirate, tissue, pus, granules, genital sources or corneal scraping. Not performed on blood, bone marrow, CSF or urine; however, these sources are recommended for fungal culture. |
| Optimal Volume: | Visible material |
| Container: | Plastic leakproof container, sterile (CoPan ESwab with larger swab) |
| Collection Instructions: | Refer to directions for collection of Fungus Culture. ESwab may be used for collection for oral thrush diagnosis. |
| Causes for Rejection: | Specimen collected with any swab other than ESwab. |
Processing and Shipping
| Specimen Processing: | Store at room temperature. |
| Shipping Instructions: | Ship at room temperature. Must arrive within 24 hours. |
| Test Performed at or Referral Lab | Infectious Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory (University of Minnesota Health Maple Grove Clinics, UMMC-East Bank, Fairview Clinics, Grand Itasca GICH) |
Interpretive
| Reference Range: | No fungal elements seen. |
| Use: | Determine presence of fungi in respiratory or genital sources. If encapsulated yeast are observed there is a high correlation with the presence of Cryptococcus neoformans, viable or non-viable forms. |
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