Fungal smear test is clinically known as KOH test. The test is a fungal culture to detect and treat the fungal infection of the lungs and the immunosuppressive condition. Fungal infection of the lung is caused by fungi or microorganisms like yeast or mold. If the fungal infection is superficial, then a simple clinical/microscopic examination is enough to identify the infection. In order to identify the infection causing organism, and to dig deeper into the root cause of the fungal infection, the KOH test is ordered. The test reveals the presence of any fungal antigens and antibodies. The test may vary depending on whether the infection is superficial or systemic.
The KOH test of the sputum is performed on a sample of sputum which is a mixture of saliva and mucus. Sputum is what we cough up from the respiratory tract when having an infection or other disease.
Usually, the doctor advises the patient to drink plenty of water or fluids the night before the KOH test. This produces more sputum which is collected in the morning and it usually has more bacteria. This enables better testing. The KOH test is advised by the doctor and it’s recommended that you disclose any on-going medication or allergies to the doctor if any. The doctor’s advice and instructions need to be followed sincerely.
If the test result is normal, then it means there is no fungal lung infection.
If the test result is positive, then it means there is fungal lung infection. The presence of fungi is established and further fungal culture may be recommended. If the immune system is healthy, then a month long medication cures the symptoms. Otherwise, prolonged antifungal medication is prescribed.The sample sputum needs to be collected and sent to the laboratory for examination. It’s ideal that the sample sputum is collected in the morning as you wake up. Remember not to eat or drink anything before the collection of the sputum. The sputum is collected in a sterile sample cup which is provided by the doctor or the pathologist. The cup should be properly labelled and sealed before sending to the laboratory.
After brushing and rinsing your mouth in the morning, cough hard to spit sputum into the sterile sample cup. The sputum must come from deep inside the lungs. Remember to fill the cup up to the marker with the sample sputum.
| Type | Gender | Age-Group | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
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Fungal Smear
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Unisex
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All age groups
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A normal KOH test result shows no Fungi. A stained slide fluoresce is observed if positive for fungus. A positive test indicates Fungal infection but it cannot identify the organism. If KOH test is positive then, specimen is inoculated into culture media.
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