Comparison of three methods for recovery of yeasts from hands of health-care workers

Abstract

This study compared three methods for the detection of yeasts on the hands of 30 nurses: (i) direct finger impressions on inhibitory mold agar plates, (ii) bag washes in brain heart infusion broth, and (iii) bag washes in brain heart infusion broth supplemented with gentamicin and vancomycin. The antimicrobial agent-supplemented bag wash method identified the greatest number of yeast carriers and yielded the most yeast isolates, especially non-C. albicans Candida spp.