title: Comparison of swab and sponge methodologies for identification of Acinetobacter baumannii from the hospital environment.
abstract: The ideal sampling method for identification of Acinetobacter baumannii from the health care environment is unknown. In this study, we sampled 145 surfaces in the rooms of patients with known A. baumannii colonization/infection, comparing two methods: swab and sponge. The sensitivity of the swab method was 87%, while the sensitivity of the sponge method was 75%. Given the comparable results, use of the cheaper and less laborious swab technique is acceptable and may be preferable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. kthom@epi.umaryland.edu
authors.forename: Kerri A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Thom
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sembajwe
authors.forename: Anthony D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Strassle
authors.forename: Brian S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Caffo
authors.forename: Karen C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: J Kristie
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D040981:Acinetobacter baumannii / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*