Clinical Microbiology

Question 1

The following agents should never be cultured in-house

Answer 1

Brucella abortus
Francisella tularensis
Yersinia pestis
Histoplasma capsulatum
Blastomyces dermatididis

Question 2

Samples most commonly collected for culture include…

Answer 2

blood, feces, urine, washes of infected areas

Question 3

T/F: when collecting a sample from an abscess via swabbing, you should only collect purulent material

Answer 3

False: when swabbing an abscess, it is generally better to collect samples from the leading edge or capsule of the abscess

Question 4

What is important to note about milk when it is being shipped?

Answer 4

it can be frozen

Question 5

organisms most commonly sought from feces

Answer 5

Salmonella, Campylobacter, Clostridium perfringes, Clostridium difficile, and Mycobacterium

Question 6

what is gram stain used for?

Answer 6

to determine if a bacteria is gram+ or gram-

Question 7

what is acid-fast stain used for?

Answer 7

to determine if a bacteria has endospores present

Question 8

Aerobic

Answer 8

with oxygen

Question 9

Anaerobic

Answer 9

without oxygen

Question 10

Bacteremia or an infection of the blood is also known as?

Answer 10

sepsis

Question 11

What medium is used for joint fluid cultures?

Answer 11

blood cultures/blood agar

Question 12

what is the most common yeast found in ears of patients with otitis externa?

Answer 12

Malassezia pachydermatis

Question 13

What anticoagulant prevents bacterial growth?

Answer 13

EDTA

Question 14

T/F: it is not important to correctly label all samples with patient’s name and collection date

Answer 14

False: you should ALWAYS correctly label samples with the patients name and collection date

Question 15

__________ is the preferred collection method for bacterial culture because of presence of indigenous flora of external genitalia

Answer 15

cystocentesis

Question 16

local infections that spread to multiple organs are called…

Answer 16

disseminated or systemic infections

Question 17

infection of the blood is termed as?

Answer 17

bacteremia

Question 18

when do you perform a blood culture in a patient with bacteremia?

Answer 18

when systemic disease is suspected

Question 19

T/F: CMT helps to confirm diagnosis of clinical mastitis

Answer 19

False: CMT helps to diagnose subclinical mastitis

Question 20

Malassezia pachydermatis can also be seen in patients with…

Answer 20

dermatitis, particularly patients with underlying diseases that can cause immunosuppressin such as diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism

Question 21

what fungal organism is associated with vaginitis?

Answer 21

Candida albicans

Question 22

what dimorphic fungus is typically found in the San Joaquin Valley in California?

Answer 22

Coccidioides immitis

Question 23

why is Coccidioides immitis relevant to us in TN?

Answer 23

because of the heavy population of people moving here from California

Question 24

Cryptococcus neoformans can be identified by?

Answer 24

abundant capsular material surrounding a yeast cell

Question 25

what is a common infection/disease associated with Cryptococcus neoformans?

Answer 25

rhinitis

Question 26

a dimorphic fungus diagnosed by visualization of yeast in the tissues or fluids from exudative lesions

Answer 26

Histoplasma capsulatum

Question 27

Histoplasma capsulatum lives where?

Answer 27

in the soil/leaves

Question 28

T/F: Histoplasma capsulatum has zoonotic potential

Answer 28

True

Question 29

a dimorphic fungus diagnosed by cytological examination of prepared patient specimens

Answer 29

Blastomyces dermatididis (“Blasto”)

Question 30

where does Blastomyces dermatididis live?

Answer 30

in the soil/leaves

Question 31

T/F: “Blasto” has zoonotic potential

Answer 31

True

Question 32

dogs infected with “Blasto” can show these clinical signs…..

Answer 32

dyspnea, cutaneous lesions, anorexia, and lameness with osteomyelitis

Question 33

A dimorphic fungus that grows on decaying plant material, causing cutaneous and disseminated lesions in cats and humans

Answer 33

Sporothrix schenckii

Question 34

T/F: Sporothrix schenckii has zoonotic potential

Answer 34

True

Question 35

Sporothrix schenckii lives where?

Answer 35

decaying plant material