Evaluation of swabbing methods for estimating the prevalence of bacterial carriage in the upper respiratory tract: a cross sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Bacterial carriage in the upper respiratory tract is usually asymptomatic but can lead to respiratory tract infection (RTI), meningitis and septicaemia. We aimed to provide a baseline measure of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae and Neisseria meningitidis carriage within the community. Self-swabbing and healthcare professional (HCP) swabbing were compared.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Individuals registered at 20 general practitioner practices within the Wessex Primary Care Research Network South West, UK.

Participants

10,448 individuals were invited to participate; 5394 within a self-swabbing group and 5054 within a HCP swabbing group. Self-swabbing invitee

SUBMITTER: Coughtrie AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4216860 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature