EVALUATION OF CHROMAGAR CANDIDA MEDIUM FOR THE ISOLATION AND PRESUMPTIVE IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIES OF CANDIDA OF CLINICAL IMPORTANCE

CHROMagar candida is a new differential culture medium that allows the isolation and presumptive identification of species of yeast of clini cal importance. We tested 618 strains of yeast, including 128 direct i solates from clinical specimens. After two days of incubation at 37 de grees C, 339 of 341 Candida albicans, 98 of 99 Candida glabrata, all t he Candida tropicalls, and all the Candida krusei were identified corr ectly. The sensitivity and specificity in these cases were both superi or to 99%. Easy to prepare, with low cost, CHROMagar Candida proves to be a useful medium for the identification of species of yeast that ar e isolated with greater frequency in clinical material and for the ide ntification of mixed cultures.