Evaluation of CHROMagar Candida for rapid screening of clinical specimens for Candida species

CHROMagar Candida is a new differential culture medium that allows selectiv e isolation of yeasts and simultaneously identifies colonies of Candida alb icans, Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis and Candida krusei. We evaluate d this medium and compared it with a reference medium, Sabouraud glucose ag ar, for the presumptive identification of yeast species isolated directly o n the medium from 1150 clinical specimens. A total of 731 specimens showed no growth, 299 isolates (70.2%) showed growth to the same extent on both me dia. Forty mixed cultures were detected on both media. More than one isolat e was detected in 30 of the tested specimens on either CHROMagar (26 specim ens) or Sabouraud glucose agar (four specimens). We found a sensitivity of 98.8% and a specificity of 100% for C. albicans, 66.7% and 99.8% for C. tro picalis, 100% and 100% for C. krusei, and 98% and 95.7% for C. glabrata. Re garding these results, CHROMagar Candida is recommended as a useful isolati on medium capable of the presumptive identification of yeasts and better de tection of mixed cultures in clinical specimens.