This abstract compares specificity and sensitivity of nasal swab (our method) to nasopharyngeal aspirate (your current method). http://adc.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/90/6/634 You can download the full text from them and registration is free.
This article is very current, August 2008. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/579603 It contradicts the first one! And here is a link to the actual journal article: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/peds.2008-0691v1
Hope it helps.
NotReady4PrimeTime, RN
5 Articles; 7,358 Posts
Can't help you with that. We do nasopharyngeal swabs for viruses. The kit comes with a very (long) flexible swab and a culture medium vial. The swab is scored to break off just at the opening of the vial so the collector never touches that part of the collection. Then the cap goes on and off it goes to the lab. But let me see what I can find about aspirates.