How to obtain a nasopharyngeal swab specimen?
Overview.
Nasopharyngeal swab specimen collection of respiratory mucosal surface specimens is a method for the diagnosis of Covid-19 novel coronavirus in adults and children.
This operation can also detect patients with suspected respiratory infections caused by other viruses and bacteria.
There are no special contraindications for nasopharyngeal swab specimens. However, clinicians should treat the following conditions with caution: the recent history of nasal trauma or surgery, severe nasal septum deviation, chronic nasal obstruction, and severe coagulation.
Preparation for nasopharyngeal swab specimen sampling.
The nasopharyngeal swab is a special sampling tool, which consists of a sampling head made of soft plastic or flocked nylon. In addition to nasopharyngeal swabs, operators also need personal protective equipment (PPE) such as isolation gowns, non-sterile gloves, protective masks, and face shields.
Before starting to use, please make sure that all virus sampling tubes are labeled, and the analysis application form is filled incorrectly.
Nasal Swab Sampling Steps
We recommended that patients with suspected Covid-19 type coronavirus infection wear masks.
The patient took off the mask and blew his nose with a paper towel to remove excessive secretions from the nasal passages.
Take out the tissue. Slightly lift the patient’s head so that it can wipe into the nasal passage. Ask the patient to close his eyes to alleviate the slight discomfort caused by the operation.
Along the nasal septum, gently push the swab above the bottom of the nasal passage forward until you feel a sense of resistance indicating that the swab has reached the nasopharynx.
Insert the swab in the nostril parallel to the upper jaw.
If resistance is encountered during pushing the flocked swab, the scraper should be withdrawn, try to adjust the angle and then push again, at the same time closer to the bottom of the nasal passage.
The depth of the nose insertion should be equal to the distance from the nostril to the opening of the external auditory meatus. CDC recommends keeping the sampling head for a few seconds after it reaches the nasopharynx, allowing the sampling head to absorb the secretions, and then slowly rotating the swab to discharge it slowly (people who have done nasopharyngeal swabs will appreciate which kind of sourness Cool feeling). Your institution may also recommend sampling for a few weeks after exiting the spin. Ask the patient to wear a mask.
Nasopharyngeal swab specimen processing.
Open the sampling tube with virus transport medium, put in the flocking swab, fold out the sample tube in the groove, and discard the tail. Tighten the label sampling tube cover, and wipe the sampling tube with a sterile wipe.
Then place the sampling tube in the biohazard bag opened by the assistant. Some departments may require you to put the samples back in their original packaging and then send them for inspection. According to CDC guidelines, process the swab sample directly, or put the sample in a preservation solution or store it at room temperature.