A comparison of cotton-tipped and nylon flocked swabs for culture of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from oropharyngeal samples

Tiffany R. Phillips; Marjan Tabesh; Christopher K. Fairley; Kate Maddaford; Shivani Pasricha; Rebecca Wigan; Vesna De Petra; Deborah A. Williamson; Eric P.F. Chow

doi:10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2021.115455

A comparison of cotton-tipped and nylon flocked swabs for culture of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from oropharyngeal samples

Tiffany R. Phillips, Marjan Tabesh, Christopher K. Fairley, Kate Maddaford, Shivani Pasricha, Rebecca Wigan, Vesna De Petra, Deborah A. Williamson, Eric P.F. Chow

Melbourne Sexual Health Centre

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Our aim was to determine if there was a difference in culture positivity for oropharyngeal gonorrhoea when sampling using a nylon-flocked versus cotton-tipped swab. We collected FLOQSwabs and cotton-tipped swabs from individuals aged ≥ 18 years who had untreated oropharyngeal gonorrhoea detected by NAAT between November 2019-June 2020.Of 78 participants, 32 (41.0%) were culture-positive for N. gonorrhoeae from either swab. Of these 32, 29 (90.6%, 95%CI: 75.0%-98.0%) were positive on both swabs, one (3.1%, 95%CI: 0.0%-16.2%) tested positive on FLOQSwab only and two (6.2%, 95%CI: 0.1%-20.8%) tested positive on cotton-tipped swabs only. There was moderate agreement between the swabs in the amount of bacterial growth (Cohen's Kappa (k)=0.745; 95%CI: 0.622-0.868, p<0.001). Our results showed that the proportion of positive results was comparable using the FLOQSwabs versus the cotton-tipped swabs for oropharyngeal gonorrhoea culture.

Original language	English
Article number	115455
Number of pages	4
Journal	Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease
Volume	101
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2021.115455
Publication status	Published - Nov 2021

Keywords

Clinical Practice
FLOQSwab
Oropharyngeal Gonorrhoea

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2021.115455

Cite this

Phillips, T. R., Tabesh, M., Fairley, C. K., Maddaford, K., Pasricha, S., Wigan, R., De Petra, V., Williamson, D. A., & Chow, E. P. F. (2021). A comparison of cotton-tipped and nylon flocked swabs for culture of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from oropharyngeal samples. Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease, 101(3), Article 115455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2021.115455

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title = "A comparison of cotton-tipped and nylon flocked swabs for culture of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from oropharyngeal samples",

abstract = "Our aim was to determine if there was a difference in culture positivity for oropharyngeal gonorrhoea when sampling using a nylon-flocked versus cotton-tipped swab. We collected FLOQSwabs and cotton-tipped swabs from individuals aged ≥ 18 years who had untreated oropharyngeal gonorrhoea detected by NAAT between November 2019-June 2020.Of 78 participants, 32 (41.0\%) were culture-positive for N. gonorrhoeae from either swab. Of these 32, 29 (90.6\%, 95\%CI: 75.0\%-98.0\%) were positive on both swabs, one (3.1\%, 95\%CI: 0.0\%-16.2\%) tested positive on FLOQSwab only and two (6.2\%, 95\%CI: 0.1\%-20.8\%) tested positive on cotton-tipped swabs only. There was moderate agreement between the swabs in the amount of bacterial growth (Cohen's Kappa (k)=0.745; 95\%CI: 0.622-0.868, p<0.001). Our results showed that the proportion of positive results was comparable using the FLOQSwabs versus the cotton-tipped swabs for oropharyngeal gonorrhoea culture.",

keywords = "Clinical Practice, FLOQSwab, Oropharyngeal Gonorrhoea",

author = "Phillips, \{Tiffany R.\} and Marjan Tabesh and Fairley, \{Christopher K.\} and Kate Maddaford and Shivani Pasricha and Rebecca Wigan and \{De Petra\}, Vesna and Williamson, \{Deborah A.\} and Chow, \{Eric P.F.\}",

note = "Funding Information: EPFC and DAW are supported by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Emerging Leadership Investigator Grant ( GNT1172873 and GNT1174555 , respectively). CKF is supported by an Australian NHMRC Leadership Investigator Grant ( GNT1172900 ). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Elsevier Inc. Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

year = "2021",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2021.115455",

language = "English",

volume = "101",

journal = "Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease",

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AU - Phillips, Tiffany R.

AU - Tabesh, Marjan

AU - Fairley, Christopher K.

AU - Maddaford, Kate

AU - Pasricha, Shivani

AU - Wigan, Rebecca

AU - De Petra, Vesna

AU - Williamson, Deborah A.

AU - Chow, Eric P.F.

N1 - Funding Information: EPFC and DAW are supported by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Emerging Leadership Investigator Grant ( GNT1172873 and GNT1174555 , respectively). CKF is supported by an Australian NHMRC Leadership Investigator Grant ( GNT1172900 ). Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Elsevier Inc. Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2021/11

Y1 - 2021/11

N2 - Our aim was to determine if there was a difference in culture positivity for oropharyngeal gonorrhoea when sampling using a nylon-flocked versus cotton-tipped swab. We collected FLOQSwabs and cotton-tipped swabs from individuals aged ≥ 18 years who had untreated oropharyngeal gonorrhoea detected by NAAT between November 2019-June 2020.Of 78 participants, 32 (41.0%) were culture-positive for N. gonorrhoeae from either swab. Of these 32, 29 (90.6%, 95%CI: 75.0%-98.0%) were positive on both swabs, one (3.1%, 95%CI: 0.0%-16.2%) tested positive on FLOQSwab only and two (6.2%, 95%CI: 0.1%-20.8%) tested positive on cotton-tipped swabs only. There was moderate agreement between the swabs in the amount of bacterial growth (Cohen's Kappa (k)=0.745; 95%CI: 0.622-0.868, p<0.001). Our results showed that the proportion of positive results was comparable using the FLOQSwabs versus the cotton-tipped swabs for oropharyngeal gonorrhoea culture.

AB - Our aim was to determine if there was a difference in culture positivity for oropharyngeal gonorrhoea when sampling using a nylon-flocked versus cotton-tipped swab. We collected FLOQSwabs and cotton-tipped swabs from individuals aged ≥ 18 years who had untreated oropharyngeal gonorrhoea detected by NAAT between November 2019-June 2020.Of 78 participants, 32 (41.0%) were culture-positive for N. gonorrhoeae from either swab. Of these 32, 29 (90.6%, 95%CI: 75.0%-98.0%) were positive on both swabs, one (3.1%, 95%CI: 0.0%-16.2%) tested positive on FLOQSwab only and two (6.2%, 95%CI: 0.1%-20.8%) tested positive on cotton-tipped swabs only. There was moderate agreement between the swabs in the amount of bacterial growth (Cohen's Kappa (k)=0.745; 95%CI: 0.622-0.868, p<0.001). Our results showed that the proportion of positive results was comparable using the FLOQSwabs versus the cotton-tipped swabs for oropharyngeal gonorrhoea culture.

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SN - 0732-8893

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ER -

A comparison of cotton-tipped and nylon flocked swabs for culture of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from oropharyngeal samples

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Optimising the control and management of sexually transmitted infections through research and innovation

A multidisciplinary approach to understanding the transmission dynamics and the control of sexually transmitted infections

Cite this

A comparison of cotton-tipped and nylon flocked swabs for culture of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from oropharyngeal samples

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Projects

Optimising the control and management of sexually transmitted infections through research and innovation

A multidisciplinary approach to understanding the transmission dynamics and the control of sexually transmitted infections

Cite this