Learn All You Need To Know About Specimen Collection and Transport Media in 5 Minutes
Once collected and processed, specimen quality is of prime importance for test results. Using specimens that have not been properly collected, labeled, handled, or stored can have an impact on the value of a test.
Patient care decreases when lab professionals mismanage specimen. Use transport media and swabs for reliable testing results.
Follow procedures and use high-quality equipment to provide satisfactory patient care. Flocked swabs are one example of equipment used during specimen collection and with transport media.
Enrichment Media
Enrichment media facilitates the growth of a specific organism by providing essential nutrients. Or sometimes contains an inhibitory substance to prevent the growth of normal competitors.
An organism requires nutrition and a special environment to grow. Use Enrichment media when a low amount of potential pathogens are present in a specimen.
More and more, research facilities and labs are using enrichment and transport media to support the process of recovering and detecting pathogens after collection. Companies like Puritan have come up with the solutions in form of liquid-based media offerings such as Lim Broth Transport Medium.
These products play a vital role in cultivating clinical specimen and making things easier for microbiologists, nurses, and other workers associated with healthcare industry.
Transport media
Transport medium is a balanced, non-nutritive medium that provides a controlled environment to maintain the survival of microorganisms.
All this without causing growth from the time of collection to the processing stage. There are many types of transport media used for different types of specimen collection.
We can generally categorize them on the basis of their physical state and their functions. Transport medium is required for samples that may contain pathogens but could not be processed right after the collection. It may be urethral swabs, stool, nasal and throat swabs.
These systems maximize specimen collection and make it more convenient via easy handling and rapid release.
For example, use UniTranz-RT® for transport of viruses. As well as Chlamydia, Mycoplasma, and Ureaplasma bacteria specimens. Contains antimicrobial agents and incorporates glass beads for efficient vortexing.
Available with a select offering of tipped applicators or as stand-alone vials.
This provides the ideal environment to protect aerobic, anaerobic, and fastidious bacteria viability for transport to the lab. Proven compatible with automated instruments and reliable for molecular transport.
Almost all of these systems come with swabs for simple collection and elution. And conform to the M40-A standard for microbiological transport systems.
Pre-collection guidelines
For microbiology testing, initial collection of samples is of prime importance. Errors occurred at the initial stage cannot be rectified at a later stage.
Following are some useful guidelines that can help complete a satisfactory pre-collection procedure:
- A person performing the test should wash hands before and after specimen collection.
- Use Appropriate personal protective equipment such as disposable gloves throughout the process.
- Collect Specimens in sterile medium with tight-fitting lids to prevent spillage and contamination
- Use Transport medium to preserve microorganisms during transportation.
Accurate and rapid sensitivity reports can save lives and help provide the quick and right treatment.
Yet, you can only get accurate results when lab operators use the right methods, tools, and enrichment and transport media to collect, transport, and store the specimen.
There are plenty of options when it comes to swabs and other tools for collecting specimens for diagnostic testing.
But, it is important to equip your lab with high-quality and approved media transport swab systems and tools.
What are flocked swabs?
Leading health researchers are of the opinion that flocked swabs are the top innovative, single-use devices that accommodate superior specimen collection and elution processes.
Flocking is a process where multi length-fibers are applied to an adhesive-coated surface to bring about improved sample collection characteristics in the applicator.
When it comes to specimen collection, Flocked swabs offer many applications and advantages.
Health professional use flocked swabs and transport media to detect and recover pathogens.
Flocked swabs have uniform, fine bristles arranged around the applicator tip. This assures ultra-clean tips and reliable performance.
Unlike traditional wound fiber swabs, flocked swabs have no internal core to absorb and trap collected specimens.
Flocked swabs have a velvet-like brush tip and provide superior collection and release characteristics.
Following are some of the characteristics of flocked swabs:
1. Best sampling
Flocked swabs have the ability to collect organisms and rapidly release entire cells.
Flocked swabs an ideal choice for rapid diagnostic tests. Patented Puritan flocked swabs known for premium quality manufacturing and unique design leading to higher sample yields.
2. Rapid elution
It is important to collect and keep a larger amount of specimen to generate refined results.
Flocked swabs designed by Puritan have no inner fabric to absorb the specimen that leads to rapid elution.
They not only bring about better sample yield, but also facilitate a complete release of the sample into liquid media.
3. Improved diagnostic sensitivity
Accurate, rapid culture, and sensitivity reports are critical factors in examining biological elements.
A patient with an infection needs quick and appropriate treatment. Puritan’s patented flocked technology turns each strand of fiber into a fiber-like brush.
Which makes it possible to obtain excellent collection and release of specimen samples.
4. Easy handling
Puritan flocked swabs support easy and effective transport procedures. Pre-molded breakpoints with printed instructions make it easy to break the handle before attaching the cap to the vial.
After sampling, one can replace the top part of the tube cap for trouble-free transport.
How Harmony can help
Harmony offers viable, dependable, high performing Puritan swabs, applicators, tongue depressors, and other clinical tools.
You’ll find specialized specimen collection and handling applicators including media transport system kits that include collection swabs.
You can call us and get free help if you need more information on our products. We will be happy to assist you.