Comparison between culture and non-culture based methods for detection of Nosocomial fungal infections of Candida spp.in intensive care unit patients

The main objective of the present study was to compare between culture based method (Hicrome Candida Differential Agar) and non-culture based method (PCR) for detection and identification of Candida spp. (C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis) isolated from intensive care unit (ICU) patients of New Kasr El Aini Medical School Educational Hospital, Egypt. The study was carried out during the period August 2008 to September 2009. The results showed that Candida isolates that isolated from Hicrome Candida Differential Agar plates were positive with PCR technique as follow: 100, 95.0, 85.0 and 90.0 for C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis, respectively. This means that using of Hicrome Candida Differential Agar media for detection and enumeration of Candida spp. was highly sensitive, rapid and economic method.