BBL CultureSwab PlusTM for Recovery of Aerobic and Anaerobic Organisms
By Xiaotian Zheng, PhD
October 1998
| Background: | To effectively recover microorganisms, it is important to optimally collect and transport a clinical specimen. Ideally, specimens must be promptly transported to the microbiology laboratory, preferably within 2 hours. However, since it usually takes much longer to transport specimens from collection sites to the laboratory, selection of a good transport system is very important. Although tissue or fluid is superior for specimens like an abscess, swabs are widely used. It has been found that maintaining aerobic, anaerobic, and facultative organisms in an anaerobic environment approaches an ideal method for transport of all bacteria. The BBL CultureSwab PlusTM collection and transport system (originally Copan Venturi Transystem) is a newly developed swab system. Comparison studies have shown that this system has the best performance in recovery of fastidious and common aerobic and anaerobic organisms including N. gonorrhoeae, H. influenzae, S. pneumoniae, S. pyogenes, Bacteroides species, Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, C. difficile, C. perfringens, Fusobacterium species, Provetella bivia, Eubacterium lentum, and Porphyromonas gingivalis. The characteristics of this swab system include: (1) Plastic transport tube containing Amies agar transport medium protecting swabs from ambient air and providing a moist, balanced pH; (2) the atmosphere of the tube and swab are anaerobic before being opened (flushed with nitrogen gas when manufactured); (3) each pack includes two soft rayon swabs for both stain and culture. |
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| Use For: | This system will replace the currently used BD Culturette EZTM and is intended for the multipurpose transport of both aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms. (This system is not recommended for specimens intended for direct antigen testing, such as the Group A Streptococcus rapid antigen test. Use Culturette EZTM for this purpose). |
| Cautions: |
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| Contact Information | Dr. Xiaotian Zheng, Phone: (808) 589-5237 |
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