%0 Journal Article
%T Comparison of the eSwab collection and transportation system to an amies gel transystem for Gram stain of clinical specimens
%A Carla Fontana
%A Marco Favaro
%A Dolores Limongi
%A Jana Pivonkova
%A Cartesio Favalli
%J BMC Research Notes
%D 2009
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1756-0500-2-244
%X Specimens were collected from 80 patients (32 vaginal swabs, 27 cervical swabs, 11 urethral swabs and 10 wound swabs). Two swabs were in random order collected from each patient, one using the conventional Amies gel Transystem, the other using ESwab. One slide was prepared for each specimen using the conventional swab and two sets of slides were prepared from the specimens collected with the ESwab: one using 100 ¦Ěl and one using 50 ¦Ěl of the Amies medium. All slides were gram stained using an automated Gram stainer. Microscopic examination of 240 slides (80 with conventional and 160 with ESwab) showed that the quality of smear preparation from the ESwab system, allowed for easier identification of human cells and identification of greater number of microorganisms. Microscopic examination of additional slides prepared from ESwab at 24 or 72 hours after initial collection were equivalent to those prepared when received in the laboratory within 2 hours of collection.Microscopic examination performed using ESwab, especially when preparing the slides with 100 ¦Ěl, shows superior results to those obtained using the Amies gel Transystem.Microscopic examination is an important initial diagnostic test in the processing of specimens in the clinical microbiology laboratory [1-3]. The Gram stain is used to classify bacteria on the basis of form, size, cellular morphology, and Gram reactions. The Gram stain can be a critical test for the rapid presumptive diagnosis of infectious agents and serve to assessment of the quality of clinical specimens [1-6]. The timely report of a Gram stain result gives the physician useful information and allows the laboratory several options to triage specimens. The preparation and analysis of a Gram stain is a procedure which requires experience in order for a correct result to be reported. A good specimen collection system is necessary especially if the Gram slide is prepared directly at the time of collection [4,7,8]. Appropriate specimen collect
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1756-0500/2/244