Comparison of the certified Copan eSwab system with commercially available cotton swabs for the detection of multidrug-resistant bacteria in rectal swabs.
Am J Infect Control
; 50(10): 1145-1149, 2022 Oct.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2035665
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Rectal swabs are well-implemented screening tools for multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB). Since certified swabs such as the Copan eSwab system experienced a delivery bottleneck during the COVID-19 pandemic, commercially available alternatives such as commonly used double-tipped cotton swabs had to be investigated, especially considering their similarity to professional cotton swabs for microbiological purposes.METHODS:
Diagnostic properties of commercial cotton swabs (comparable to Q-tips) and Copan eSwabs were qualitatively compared in a prospective single-center study using microbiological standard cultures and PCR methods for the detection of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE).RESULTS:
A total of 196 swab pairs were collected from 164 participants. MDRB were detected in 36 of 164 cases (22%). There were neither false-negative nor false-positive results using commercial cotton swabs. In 8 of 196 samples (4.1%) MDRB species were detected only by using cotton swabs, including vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, OXA-48 producing Escherichia coli, ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and ESBL-producing Escherichia coli.DISCUSSION:
Commercial cotton swabs turned out to be a reliable alternative to Copan eSwabs. For practical use as a screening tool, relevant storage- and manufacturer-related contamination must be ruled out beforehand.CONCLUSIONS:
Commonly available double-tipped cotton swabs can be used for rectal MDRB screening in the event of supply shortages of certified swabs. Further studies should clarify their suitability as a sampling system for nasopharyngeal MRSA carriage or even for the molecular biological detection of SARS-CoV-2.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Diagnostic study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Am J Infect Control
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.ajic.2022.02.002
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