Alternative sampling methods for detecting bacterial pathogens in children with upper respiratory tract infections.
Nasopharyngeal sampling is used for detecting bacteria commonly involved in upper respiratory tract infections, but it requires training and may not always be well tolerated. We sampled children (n = 66) of ages 0 to 4 years, with rhinorrhea, by using a nasopharyngeal swab, a nasal swab, and nose blowing/wiping into a paper tissue. Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Staphylococcus aureus were cultured at similar rates across methods with high concordance (80 to 97%), indicating that they are reliably detected by alternative means.
Department of Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Utrecht, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Menno R
MR
van den Bergh
Debby
D
Bogaert
Lideke
L
Dun
Joline
J
Vons
Mei Ling J N
ML
Chu
Krzysztof
K
Trzciński
Reinier H
RH
Veenhoven
Elisabeth A M
EA
Sanders
Anne M G
AM
Schilder
D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D012634:Bodily Secretions / Q000382:microbiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*