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HelpFungal Smear Only
Infectious
Specimen and Container/Tube
Specimen Type: Tissue, fluid or aspirate
Preferred Specimen: Sterile, sealable, screw-cap container
Other Acceptable specimens: Vacutainer, anaerobic transport tube
Volume
Preferred Volume:
Joint, pericardial fluid: 1 mL
Other fluids: 10 mL
Tissue: 1 cm or 3-4 mm dermal punch biopsy
Specimen Stability
|
Storage Temperature |
Stability |
|
Room temperature (20 - 25°C) |
24 hours |
|
Refrigerated (2 - 10°C) |
not acceptable |
|
Frozen (-20°C) |
not acceptable |
Collection Instructions
Specimen Collection:
Fluid: Decontamination of overlying skin and aspiration of fluid.
Tissue: Obtained after surgical debridement, preferrably. Add few drops of saline to keep moist.
Specimen Transport: Immediate
Specimen Handling and Transport Instructions
UCMC Onsite Instructions: Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately.
UCMC Offsite and UC MedLab Outreach Instructions: Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately.
Rejection Criteria
- Common specimen rejected situations include: incorrect specimen type, insufficient volume, incorrect collection container, missing or incomplete specimen identifiers, incorrect specimen transport, or specimens outside stability limits.
Reference Values
|
Test |
Age |
Sex |
Reference Range |
|
Stain |
All |
All |
Negative |
Turnaround Time
Turnaround times are relative to the time the specimen is received in the test laboratory.
STAT Turnaround Time:
Routine Turnaround Time:
Testing Schedule: Monday - Sunday
Clinical Indications
- Aid in the diagnosis of fungal infections.
- Positive smears should be confirmed by culture.
CPT Codes
87206
LOINC Codes
30387206
Methodology
KOH/Calcofluor White preparation
Synonyms/Keyword Search
KOH, FUNGAL, SMEAR, ONLY
Last Review Date
11/12/2025