Which type of culture medium would you use for growing fastidious organisms like Haemophilus influenzae?

Chocolate agar is the correct choice for cultivating fastidious organisms like Haemophilus influenzae. This type of medium is enriched with nutrients that support the growth of bacteria with complex nutritional requirements. Specifically, chocolate agar contains lysed red blood cells, which release growth factors such as hemin (X factor) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (V factor), both of which are essential for the growth of H. influenzae.

This organism does not grow well on standard media, such as nutrient broth, as it lacks the necessary growth factors. TCBS agar is designed for the selective isolation of Vibrio species, which do not overlap with the growth needs of H. influenzae. Skirrow's medium is specialized for Campylobacter species and is not suitable for H. influenzae either. Thus, chocolate agar is the optimal choice for supporting the growth of this particular fastidious organism.