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2023-09-14

Oral Swabs for Pigs: A Great Alternative for PRRSV Surveillance

Oral Swabs for Pigs: A Great Alternative for PRRSV Surveillance Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) remains a major threat to swine health and causes significant economic losses worldwide. Effective surveillance and monitoring are crucial for PRRSV control in breeding herds. Serum is the gold standard sample for PRRSV RNA detection, but colle...

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2023-09-14

Use Immunofluorescence to Characterize Nasal Mucosa Models

Use Immunofluorescence to Characterize Nasal Mucosa Models The nasal mucosa is comprised of different types of epithelial cells that act as a barrier for inhaled substances. The olfactory and respiratory epithelia are thought to be the main sites for drug absorption in the nose. Thus, there is great interest in studying drug transport across nasal epithelial cell layers. S...

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2023-09-13

A Simple Guide to Cortisol Saliva Test Instructions

A Simple Guide to Cortisol Saliva Test Instructions Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands that helps regulate metabolism and stress response. A cortisol saliva test measures the level of cortisol in saliva, which corresponds to the amount of free cortisol circulating in your bloodstream. When collecting a saliva sample for a cortisol test, it is important to...

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2023-09-13

The Essentials of Cortisol Saliva Test You Must Know

The Essentials of Cortisol Saliva Test You Must Know What is cortisol and why is it important to test it? Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands that plays a vital role in regulating metabolism, immune function, blood pressure, and the body's response to stress. It is often referred to as the "stress hormone" since levels fluctuate in response t...

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2023-09-11

HPV Test Sampling Swabs: Pros, Cons and Guidance

HPV Test Sampling Swabs: Pros, Cons and Guidance What are the benefits and challenges of using swabs for HPV self-sampling? Self-sampling for HPV testing has emerged as an important strategy to improve participation and access to cervical cancer screening. Allowing women to collect their own vaginal sample rather than needing a pelvic exam by a clinician can help ov...

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2023-09-11

Buccal Swabs: A Complete Guide to Collecting & Analyzing DNA

Buccal Swabs: A Complete Guide to Collecting & Analyzing DNA What are buccal swabs and how are they collected? Buccal swabs, also known as buccal smears, are a method of collecting DNA from the cells on the inside of a person's cheek. The word "buccal" refers to the cheek or mouth area. To perform a buccal swab, a healthcare provider gently rubs a small sponge o...

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2023-09-09

A Comprehensive Overview of Saliva Collection Sticks

A Comprehensive Overview of Saliva Collection Sticks What are saliva collection sticks and how are they used? Saliva collection sticks are devices used to obtain saliva samples for diagnostic testing. They consist of an absorbent material, like cotton or synthetic fibers, attached to a handle. The absorbent tip is placed in the mouth to collect saliva by absorption....

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2023-09-09

The Essential Guide to Understanding OP Swabs

The Essential Guide to Understanding OP Swabs What are OP Swabs and How Effective are They for COVID-19 Testing? Oropharyngeal (OP) swabs refer to swabs taken from the back of the throat and tonsillar areas to collect respiratory secretions for detecting respiratory viruses like SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. With the COVID-19 pandemic, OP swabs have be...

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2023-09-08

Everything You Need To Know About Flocked Swabs

Everything You Need To Know About Flocked Swabs What are flocked swabs? Flocked swabs are a specialized type of swab with an applicator tip coated in ultra-short nylon fibers arranged perpendicularly. This innovative design creates a velvet-like texture on the tip that maximizes sample collection and release. Unlike traditional spun swabs, flocked swabs use a thin a...

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2023-09-08

The Superiority of Flocked Swabs for Respiratory Sample Collection

The Superiority of Flocked Swabs for Respiratory Sample Collection What is a flocked swab? A flocked swab is a type of medical swab used for collecting biological samples, consisting of short nylon fiber strands attached perpendicularly to a plastic applicator. Unlike traditional wound fiber swabs, flocked swabs have no internal core that can entrap biological mat...

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2023-09-07

How Can Swab Sampling Help Identify The Potential Pathogen?

How Can Swab Sampling Help Identify The Potential Pathogen? Trueperella pecoris is a recently discovered bacterial species that may cause disease in livestock. This article summarizes key points on using swab samples and a LAMP diagnostic assay to evaluate T. pecoris as a potential pathogen. How were swab samples collected and processed in this study? In this...

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2023-09-07

Are Environmental Swabs The Future of Biomonitoring?

Are Environmental Swabs The Future of Biomonitoring? What are environmental swabs and how are they collected? Environmental swabs involve using a swab to collect DNA material from surfaces in the environment. This allows researchers to obtain DNA samples from vertebrates without directly handling or observing the animals. The swabs are simply rubbed against environm...

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2023-09-05

Stool Sample Collection Kits: Methods and Challenges

Stool Sample Collection Kits: Methods and Challenges Stool sample collection kits are essential tools enabling microbiome research through large-scale epidemiological studies. This article explores various at-home stool collection methods, challenges in optimizing kits for diverse global contexts, and key considerations for maximizing participant compliance. What ar...

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2023-09-05

White Blood Cells in Cervical Swab Without Infection: Causes and Clinical Approach

White Blood Cells in Cervical Swab Without Infection: Causes and Clinical Approach Finding white blood cells on a cervical swab despite no apparent cervical infection is a seemingly paradoxical result that warrants evaluation. This article explores potential reasons for increased cervical white blood cells without infection, how the number correlates to conditions, when up...

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2023-09-05

How to Optimize Release Efficiency of Sterile Cotton Swabs

How to Optimize Release Efficiency of Sterile Cotton Swabs Sterile cotton swabs are used to sample surfaces in cleanrooms. A study in 2017 by Satyada and Sandle investigated optimizing the releasing capacity of swabs for discharging sampled microorganisms. Their results on factors like diluent, vortex mixing time, and holding time provide guidance on improving swab samplin...

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2023-09-05

A Primer on Wound Culture Swab: Essential Facts & Guidelines

A Primer on Wound Culture Swab: Essential Facts & Guidelines Wound infections significantly impair healing and can lead to serious complications. Culture swabs are a critical diagnostic tool to identify pathogens and guide treatment. But what is the best technique for optimal results? We review evidence comparing swab and tissue cultures, and provide recommendations fo...

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2023-09-05

How Do Saliva Collection Kits Improve DNA Quality and Stability?

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2023-09-04

The Pros and Cons of Using Mouth Swabs For Elderly Oral Care

The Pros and Cons of Using Mouth Swabs For Elderly Oral Care Oral hygiene is critical yet challenging for many elderly patients. Mouth swabs are often used as an alternative to toothbrushing to clean the mouths of hospitalized or nursing home patients. This article examines the use of swabs for oral care in the elderly, including their effectiveness, impact on pneumonia ri...

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2023-09-01

Everything You Need To Know About Aerobic Culture Swabs

Everything You Need To Know About Aerobic Culture Swabs What are aerobic culture swabs? Aerobic culture swabs are used to collect specimens from patients to test for the presence of aerobic bacteria. They consist of a swab tip made of synthetic material such as polyester, rayon, or nylon attached to a plastic shaft. The swab tip is sterile and is used to collect bac...

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2023-08-31

A Full Comparison of Inactivated and Non-inactivated VTM

A Full Comparison of Inactivated and Non-inactivated VTM What are Inactivated and Non-inactivated Viral Transport Media? Viral transport media (VTM) are designed to preserve and transport viruses for laboratory analysis. There are two main types - inactivated and non-inactivated. Inactivated VTM contains chemicals that destroy the infectivity of viruses while p...

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2023-08-31

Findings About Dog Antimicrobial Resistance in Growth Medium

Findings About Dog Antimicrobial Resistance in Growth Medium Antimicrobial resistance poses a major threat to public health globally. While resistance emerging in bacteria from food animals grabs headlines, the role of dogs as mediators of resistance merits dedicated focus. The close bond shared between humans and dogs creates a conduit for exchange of resistant microbes. ...

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2023-08-31

Can Tongue Swabs Improve Tuberculosis Detection in Children?

Can Tongue Swabs Improve Tuberculosis Detection in Children? Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. Childhood TB is especially difficult to diagnose due to paucibacillary disease and limitations of current tests. Could sampling the oral cavity provide a better approach? Recent research indicates promise for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculos...

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2023-08-22

Using Vaginal Swabs To Measure pH: Can We Detect AVF?

Using Vaginal Swabs To Measure pH: Can We Detect AVF? Detecting abnormal vaginal flora (AVF) usually requires multiple tests at a gynecology clinic. A study evaluated a faster screening tool - a vaginal swab that measures pH levels. The goal was to see if this fast swab test could accurately detect women who need further testing. A easy screening tool could improve gynec...

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2023-08-15

Everything You Need To Know About CHG Swabsticks

Everything You Need To Know About CHG Swabsticks What are CHG swabsticks? Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) swabsticks are antiseptic wipes used to prepare skin prior to injections, surgical procedures, or access of indwelling medical devices. They contain CHG, an antimicrobial that reduces bacteria on the skin. Why use CHG swabsticks? Using CHG swabstic...

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2023-08-08

How to Prevent DNA Degradation in Urine Samples?

How to Prevent DNA Degradation in Urine Samples? DNA in urine degrades rapidly, which hinders its application in individual identification. How can we prevent DNA degradation in urine and improve its value in forensics? What substances in urine promote DNA degradation? Urine contains urea, uric acid, creatine, mineral salts, urokinase and other substances tha...

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2023-08-08

UTI Stops DNA Degradation in Frozen Forensic Urine Samples

UTI Stops DNA Degradation in Frozen Forensic Urine Samples Urine represents an abundant and easily accessible biological material that could provide an alternative source of DNA for forensic genotyping and identification. However, DNA from urinary epithelial cells and cell-free DNA tends to degrade rapidly from enzymatic, chemical, and microbial damage during storage. This...

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2023-08-02

How Hydrophobicity Makes THC Tricky to Handle Analytically

How Hydrophobicity Makes THC Tricky to Handle Analytically Why is THC so Extremely Hydrophobic? THC is highly hydrophobic, with an octanol-water partition coefficient (log Kow) as high as 6.4. This extreme hydrophobicity arises from THC's chemical structure containing effective alkyl substituents and aromatic ring systems. The numerous nonpolar C-H bonds in THC stre...

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2023-08-02

Saliva Collector Benefits for Roadside Drug Testing

Saliva Collector Benefits for Roadside Drug Testing Drug testing has advanced significantly in recent years, with increasing use of alternative specimens to blood or urine to detect drug exposure. Oral fluid has emerged as a promising non-invasive specimen for drug testing, particularly to identify recent drug use. Technological developments have also enabled on-site oral ...

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2023-07-26

Mantacc in Spotlight: An Exciting First Day at ADLM 2023

Mantacc in Spotlight: An Exciting First Day at ADLM 2023 From July 25th to 27th, 2023, the 75th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo will be held grandly at the Anaheim Convention Center in California, USA. This grand event will bring together 941 exhibiting companies from more than 100 countries and regions around the world, becoming an international eve...

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2023-07-11

The Potential of Buccal Swab for DNA Age Prediction

The Potential of Buccal Swab for DNA Age Prediction The study of genetics has opened up new avenues for understanding age and the aging process. One such avenue is DNA methylation (DNAm), a biological process involving the addition of a methyl group to the DNA molecule. Changes in DNA methylation patterns have been associated with aging, and these changes can pot...

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2023-06-21

The CHG Applicator: Championing Effective Skin Preparation

The CHG Applicator: Championing Effective Skin Preparation The cornerstone of any successful medical procedure is rooted in meticulous preparation, and one of the most vital steps is skin preparation using a CHG applicator. CHG, or Chlorhexidine Gluconate, combined with Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA), forms the bedrock of these indispensable applicators. The role they play in the...

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2023-05-30

The Ultimate Guide to Stuart Transport Media

The Ultimate Guide to Stuart Transport Media Stuart Transport Media, invented by Dr. R.D Stuart, was the first media designed for transporting clinical swab samples. It is typically used in various medical and clinical settings for the collection and transportation of samples for testing. The media is available in liquid form for rapid strep A antigen tests and aerobic c...

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2023-05-05

Your One-stop Source For Everything Amies Transport Medium

Your One-stop Source For Everything Amies Transport Medium Welcome to our guide on everything you need to know about Amies transport medium. If you work in microbiology, you're probably familiar with Amies transport medium - it's a widely used transport medium for the collection and preservation of clinical specimens for bacterial culture. This medium is designed to keep...

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2023-04-28

Everything You Need To Know About Cary-Blair Transport Medium

Everything You Need To Know About Cary-Blair Transport Medium Cary-Blair Transport Medium has become an indispensable tool in the field of microbiology. It plays a crucial role in the preservation and transportation of bacterial specimens, particularly those related to enteric pathogens. As microbiological analysis relies on accurate and timely diagnosis, the use...

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2022-11-28

How Should DNA Sample Collections Be Managed?

How Should DNA Sample Collections Be Managed? What are the sources of DNA that can be sampled for studying human genetic variation? Peripheral blood is the most common source of DNA for studying human genetic variation. Standard protocols allow 10,000-50,000 assays to be performed on the DNA from a single 10 mL blood sample. The number of assays can be increased to ...

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2018-07-24

How Has Specimen Collection Changed Over the Years?

How Has Specimen Collection Changed Over the Years? Specimen collection devices like swabs and blood collection tubes play a critical role in healthcare and research. But how did we get to where we are today? What were the key innovations that shaped specimen collection as we know it? In the early days of modern medicine, specimen collection was difficult ...

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