Effect Of Cold On Growth Of Fungal Elements In Clinical Specimens

In medical centers, after obtaining visceral clinical samples in suitable containers under certain circumstances, they are sent to mycology laboratory. Since sometimes it is impossible to test specimens immediately, therefore, they should be kept in the refrigerator. Thus, possibility of keeping samples, the confidently time of samples keeping in a refrigerator and the appropriate guidelines for the maintenance of visceral samples for clinical centers have a particular importance for practical purposes and are the aim of this study.
At first, the specimen was examined by KOH direct microscopic examination for detection of fungal elements. After primary culture of visceral samples on the Sabouraud dextrose agar with chloramphenicol (SC) medium, the samples were sequentially placed in a refrigerator at temperature 2-8 ºc for 1, 2, 24 and 48 hs and each sample with the specific mentioned time culturing was performed on the Sabouraud dextrose agar (S) and SC media. Then the results of growth were recorded.
From 100 samples, 79 samples had grown, 20 samples with lack of growth and in 1 sample reduced growth were observed.
After 48 hours of cold temperatures (2-8 ºc) visceral fungal clinical samples are able to grow in culture media. So samples which were not tested immediately, could be stored at temperatures 2-8 ºc in the refrigerator.