P-19: Evaluation of Flocked Nylon Swabs (Copan ESwab™) vs Rayon Fibre Swabs (Copan Venturi Transystem) for Bacterial Culture

ABSTRACT:

Objective: The recovery of potential pathogens from swabs used to collect clinical specimens is of critical importance in the laboratory diagnosis of infections. It is estimated that only 10-15% of the organisms collected on traditional swabs, composed of spun fibres, can be recovered from cultures. Nylon flocked swabs, composed of open nylon fibres, potentially release a much higher percentage of trapped organisms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of Nylon flocked swabs compared to standard spun Rayon swabs for recovery of bacteria from mocked specimens.