Identification of budding yeast cells on culture from a catheter specimen strongly suggests which organism?

• A. Staphylococcus aureus
• B. Escherichia coli
• C. Candida albicans
• D. Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Answer: (C)

Budding yeast cells on culture point to a fungal organism, not bacteria. Among the options, this pattern is classic for Candida species, with Candida albicans being the most common cause of catheter-related infections. Candida grows as budding yeast and can form pseudohyphae, which helps distinguish it from bacteria that appear as rods or cocci on culture. The other organisms listed are bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus as Gram-positive cocci, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa as Gram-negative rods) and would not show budding yeast morphologies. Therefore, seeing budding yeast cells from a catheter specimen most strongly suggests Candida albicans.