What happens during a fungal culture test?Fungi can occur in different places in the body. Fungal culture tests are performed where fungi is likely to be present. The most common types of fungal tests and their uses are listed below.Skin or nail scrapingUsed to diagnose superficial skin or nail infectionsTest procedure:Your health care provider will use a special tool to take a small sample of your skin or nailsSwab testUsed to diagnose yeast infections in your mouth or vagina. It may also be used to diagnose certain skin infections.Test procedure:Your health care provider will use a special swab to gather tissue or fluid from mouth, vagina, or from an open woundBlood TestUsed to detect the presence of fungi in the blood. Blood tests are often used to diagnose more serious fungal infections.Test procedure:A health care professional will need a blood sample. The sample is most often taken from a vein in your arm.Urine TestUsed to diagnose more serious infections and sometimes to help diagnose a vaginal yeast infectionTest procedure:You will provide a sterile sample of urine in a container, as instructed by your health care provider.Sputum CultureSputum is a thick mucus that is coughed up from the lungs. It is different from spit or saliva.Used to help diagnose fungal infections in the lungsTest procedure:You may be asked to cough up sputum into a special container as instructed by your providerAfter your sample is collected, it will be sent to a lab for analysis. You may not get your results right away. Your fungal culture needs to have enough fungi for your health care provider to make a diagnosis. While many types of fungi grow within a day or two, others can take a few weeks. The amount of time depends on the type of infection you have.
