Chapter 13: Diagnostic tests
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Specimen collection: swab sampling
Definition
Sterile swabs are commonly used in clinical practice to obtain samples of material from skin and mucous membranes. They are utilized to identify micro‐organisms in suspected infection or as part of a screening programme to identify patients who may be carrying pathogens without displaying clinical signs or symptoms. Swab cultures provide useful data that can be used to augment diagnostic and therapeutic decision making (Bonham [17], Panpradist et al. [181]).
