Direct Antiglobulin Test (Coombs Test)
Q: A 'positive indirect antiglobulin test' (IAT) indicates the presence of free antibodies in the patient's serum that are capable of binding to red blood cells.
Did You Know?
The potassium hydroxide (KOH) mount is a simple, rapid clearing technique used primarily in diagnostic mycology. A 10-20% KOH solution is added to a clinical specimen (skin scrapings, hair, nails, sputum). KOH digests and clears away host proteins, keratin, and cellular debris, which are opaque under the microscope. However, it does not digest the chitinous cell walls of fungi, making fungal elements (hyphae, yeast cells) more visible and easier to identify against a cleared background. Its application in parasitology is limited but exists. It can be used to clear thick, mucoid specimens, such as sputum suspected of containing parasites like Paragonimus westermani eggs or Strongyloides larvae, by digesting mucus. However, it must be used with caution because strong KOH can also damage or distort delicate parasite structures (like protozoan trophozoites) over time. Therefore, while it is a valuable tool in mycology, its use in parasitology is specific to certain sample types and parasites, and it is not a general-purpose clearing agent like lactophenol cotton blue is for fungi.
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