What should be noted when using sampling swabs?

Before Sampling

1. Personnel Training
   • Sampling personnel must receive professional training and be familiar with the sampling process and operating procedures. They should understand the sampling sites, sampling methods corresponding to different diseases, as well as possible problems and countermeasures. For example, they need to know how to correctly collect throat swabs to avoid causing strong discomfort or vomiting in the person being sampled.
   • They should master the correct way to hold the sampling swab to ensure that the sample is not contaminated or the person being sampled is not injured due to improper operation during the sampling process.
2. Inspection of Swabs
   • Check whether the packaging of the sampling swab is intact, without damage, air leakage, etc. If the packaging is damaged, the swab may be contaminated, affecting the accuracy of the sampling result. In this case, a new swab should be replaced.
   • Confirm the expiration date of the swab. Expired swabs may affect the sampling and sample preservation effects due to material aging and other issues and cannot be used.
3. Preparation of Sampling Environment
   • Ensure that the sampling environment is clean and hygienic, and avoid sampling in an environment with a large amount of dust, pollutants, or microorganisms. For example, in a hospital sampling room, regular disinfection and cleaning should be carried out.
   • For some special samplings, such as virus detection sampling, it may be necessary to be carried out in an environment with a certain biosafety protection level to prevent virus transmission and cross – infection.

During Sampling

1. Follow the Principles of Aseptic Operation
   • Sampling personnel should wear sterile gloves to prevent bacteria or other microorganisms on their own hands from contaminating the sample. During the entire sampling process, try to avoid touching parts other than the head of the swab to ensure the purity of the sample.
   • If auxiliary tools such as tongue depressors are needed, their sterility should also be ensured, and they should be properly disposed of before and after use.
2. Accurate Sample Collection
   • Determine the sampling site according to the purpose of testing. For example, when detecting influenza virus, the nasopharyngeal swab should go deep into the nasal cavity to the nasopharynx for collection; when detecting sexually transmitted diseases, the corresponding parts of the reproductive organs should be accurately sampled.
   • During the collection process, the action should be gentle and quick, avoiding excessive stimulation of the person being sampled to prevent resistance or unnecessary injury. For example, when collecting throat swabs, do not go too deep into the throat to avoid triggering the vomiting reflex, and when collecting anal swabs, pay attention to the strength to avoid anal injury.
3. Avoid Sample Contamination
   • Do not let the swab touch object surfaces unrelated to the sampling site, such as tabletops, clothing, etc. Once contacted, foreign contaminants may be introduced, interfering with the test results.
   • When collecting multiple samples, replace with new sampling swabs to prevent cross – contamination. For example, when sampling multiple patients suspected of being infected with the same virus, a new swab should be replaced for each patient’s sample.

After Sampling

1. Proper Sample Preservation
   • Preserve the collected samples according to the specified conditions. Some samples need to be immediately placed in a collection tube containing a specific preservation solution. For example, samples collected by virus sampling swabs may need to be placed in a tube containing virus preservation solution to maintain the activity of the virus.
   • Label the sample information, including the name of the person being sampled, sampling time, sampling site, etc., to ensure that there is no confusion of information in the subsequent transportation and testing processes.
2. Safe Sample Transportation
   • Use appropriate transportation containers and methods. For some samples with requirements for temperature and humidity, measures such as incubators and ice packs should be used to ensure the environmental conditions during transportation.
   • Comply with relevant biosafety transportation regulations to prevent sample leakage, damage, or biological hazards during transportation. For example, for samples that may contain infectious pathogens, operations should be carried out in accordance with the corresponding infectious disease sample transportation specifications.