Fungal Infections – External Ear
Consistent with O. Reg. 671/92 of the French Language Services Act, laboratory testing information on this page is only available in English because it is scientific or technical in nature and is for use only by qualified health care providers and not by members of the public.
Specimen Requirements
| Test Requested | Required Requisition(s) | Specimen Type | Minimum Volume | Collection Kit |
Fungus culture |
Material collected from ear canal |
N/A |
Collect material using a curette or dry swab or swab in charcoal or Amies transport media. |
Submission and Collection Notes
For curetted specimens, place material from the ear canal into a sterile container.
Storage and Transport
Label the specimen container with the patient’s full name, date of collection and one other unique identifier such as the patient’s date of birth or Health Card Number. Failure to provide this information may result in rejection or testing delay.
Place specimen in a biohazard bag and seal. Store specimen at room temperature. Specimens should be shipped to the lab ASAP after collection when possible.
Test Frequency and Turnaround Time (TAT)
The Fungus culture test is done daily Monday to Friday.
Turnaround Time for microscopy: 1 day
Turnaround Time for culture: up to 28 days (for negative result)
Identification of isolates: dependent on organism(s)
Fungal Culture for filamentous fungi and yeast:
- Identification of fungal isolates from culture is performed using methods including microscopic morphology, biochemical reactions, and growth temperature and culture characteristics.
- Molecular methods will be used when needed.
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