Sputum culture positive for yeast

pscheiderichpscheiderich
in Clinical & Coding

Hi everyone,

Patient admitted with pneumonia.  Sputum culture positive for a few yeast (Candida Albicans) is documented.  Order for Nystantin swish & swallow. 

I normally query for significance, if any of a positive sputum culture but as this was yeast which can be contaminant and the only treatment was Nystantin S&S would a query still be appropriate to clarify if this is true pathogen or colonization? 

Appreciate thoughts.

Comments

  • evanspx@sutterhealth.orgevanspx@sutterhealth.org
    Very fast and casual response, but ‘sounds like’ oral thrush, not funal pneumonia. Funal pneumonia has a distinctive presentation, radiological findings and treatment as opposed to a more typical bacterial type of pneumonia.  So,  are you thinking about giving some thought to oral thrush rather than funal pneumonia?

    Paul Evans, RHIA
  • evanspx@sutterhealth.orgevanspx@sutterhealth.org
    Fungal PNA:   Seen in those at risk for opportunistic infections from debilitation. Onset is slow.  chest films may show ‘nodular’ infiltrates.  Antibiotics our staff employ would often include:  diflucan, Nizoral, or some other agent specific for treatment of fungal infection.  What you describe is much more like oral thrush rather than fungal PNA, IMO?
  • pscheiderichpscheiderich

    Hi Paul,

    Yes I was thinking that this is just oral thrush.  I think I will query with choices of oral thrush, colonization, other, none/not applicable. 

    Thanks for your input!

    Paula Scheiderich, RHIT

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