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THE MICROBIOLOGICAL SWAB SAMPLER ‐ A QUANTITATIVE EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION
Author(s) -
NYSTRÖM PEROLOF
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
acta pathologica microbiologica scandinavica section b microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0304-131X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1978.tb00057.x
Subject(s) - agar , cotton swab , inoculation , quantitative assessment , saline , bacteria , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , medicine , pathology , genetics , endocrinology , risk analysis (engineering)
The aim of the investigation was to give an in vitro experimental account of the commonly used cotton swab as a sampler for quantitative determination of bacteria in operation wounds. The transfer of staphylococci with the swab from an inoculated to a non‐inoculated agar culture plate was used as a model, and three different ways of swab handling were tested. A direct transfer of 19 per cent staphylococci from the inoculated to the non‐inoculated plate was found. When the swab was rinsed in a small volume of saline and the rinsing fluid was plated. 39 per cent were transferred. When the swab was kept in a Stuart transport medium, as is the usual procedure in clinincal practice, only 4 per cent were transferred. Quantitative wound swab cultures depend on a thorough sampling of the wound and an efficient recovery of bacteria from the swab. It is concluded that the use of a Stuart transport medium would appear to hamper quantitative determination, and a rinsing procedure should be preferred.