A yeast isolated from the blood culture of a febrile patient with a central venous catheter is suspected to be Candida albicans. Which rapid bench test confirms this presumptively?
- A Urease test
- B Chlamydospore formation on cornmeal agar
- C Germ tube test ✓
- D Thermotolerant growth at 42°C
Correct answer: C. Germ tube test
Explanation
The germ tube test is the rapid presumptive test for Candida albicans, where yeast incubated in serum at 37°B for 2-3 hours produces germ tubes. Chlamydospore formation takes 24-48 hours. Urease is positive for Cryptococcus. Thermotolerance is supplementary but not the primary rapid test.
Reference: Jawetz, Melnick, & Adelberg's Medical Microbiology, 28th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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