Fungal infections can affect the skin, nails, mouth, lungs, bloodstream, and other parts of the body. Accurate identification of the causative fungus is important for selecting appropriate treatment, particularly when an infection is persistent, recurrent, severe, or not responding as expected.
Accurate Fungal Infection Diagnosis
Fungal infection diagnosis may involve clinical evaluation and laboratory testing of appropriate samples such as skin scrapings, nail clippings, swabs, blood, respiratory specimens, or tissue. Depending on the suspected infection, laboratory methods may include microscopy, fungal culture, antigen testing, molecular tests, or other specialized investigations. These tests help identify whether a fungal infection is present and, when possible, determine the specific organism involved.
Antifungal Susceptibility Testing
Antifungal susceptibility testing evaluates how a fungal organism responds to specific antifungal medicines. It can be particularly useful for difficult-to-treat infections, recurrent infections, or cases where resistance to antifungal drugs is suspected. The results can help doctors make more informed treatment decisions based on the identified organism and laboratory findings.