scope:

This standard describes a reference method for testing susceptibility to antifungal agents of yeasts that cause infections, including Candida spp. and Cryptococcus spp. The intended users are laboratory personnel who perform antifungal susceptibility testing on yeasts. The focus is on developing relevant breakpoints for available antifungal agents¹⁰ and reference minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranges for broth dilution testing of both established and newly introduced antifungal agents.¹¹ For MIC breakpoints, interpretive categories, and MIC ranges for QC isolates, refer to CLSI document M60.¹²

This method has not been extensively validated for the yeast forms of dimorphic fungi, such as Blastomyces dermatitidis or Histoplasma capsulatum. Also, testing filamentous fungi (moulds) introduces several additional standardization problems not covered by this procedure and is not included. For an antifungal broth dilution susceptibility testing reference method for filamentous fungi, refer to CLSI document M38.¹⁵

Commercially available susceptibility test systems are out of scope for this standard. It is recommended that users of these systems refer to the manufacturer's instructions as outlined in the package insert.