PMLS#22

• Fungal infections are referred to as mycoses and are further identified by the area of infection and/or the causative organisms.
• • Superficial or cutaneous mycoses: These infect the outermost (dead) layers of the skin and hair, as well as the epidermis, hair follicles and deeper layers of the visible skin.
  • Tinea corporis (ringworm) is an example of this type of infection.
• • Subcutaneous mycoses: These fungal infections occur in the dermis and subcutaneous layers of the skin, and may affect the muscles and tissue layers beneath the skin.
• • Systematic mycoses: Systematic fungal infections may be present in multiple organs and/or areas of the body.
• Potassium Hydroxide Preparation

  • An examination of the sample under the microscope with a drop or two of 10% to 20% potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution is performed immediately after collection to search for the presence of fungi.
• A wet mount is a means by which living organisms may be observed under the microscope.
• Sample Collection Procedures for Detection of Parasites

  • Scabies is a parasitic infection with Sarcoptes scabiei, and this may be diagnosed with a skin scrapping.
• The pinworm is a small white worm that can infect the colon and rectum of humans.
• Developed in 1884, the Gram stain is a technique that quickly and inexpensively provides information about the bacteria that are present in a sample.
• • Antibiotic sensitivity testing is performed to determine how effective antimicrobial therapy is against a certain type of bacteria.
  • These automated methods use the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method to determine which antimicrobial agent is the best to use for a specific pathogenic bacteria.
  • Many laboratories use an older, more laborious method of testing known as the disk-diffusion method (also know as the Kirby-Bauer method) for antibiotic sensitivity testing.