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Updated: May 23, 2026
Direct Microbial Identification using An Automated Microbial Identification System to Facilitate the EUCAST RAST Method Without Mass Spectrometry
Published on: May 24, 2024
Comparison of swab and sponge methodologies for identification of Acinetobacter baumannii from the hospital
Kerri A Thom1, Tracy Howard, Sophie Sembajwe
1Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. kthom@epi.umaryland.edu
Abstract:
The ideal sampling method for identification of Acinetobacter baumannii from the health care environment is unknown. In this study, we sampled 145 surfaces in the rooms of patients with known A. baumannii colonization/infection, comparing two methods: swab and sponge. The sensitivity of the swab method was 87%, while the sensitivity of the sponge method was 75%. Given the comparable results, use of the cheaper and less laborious swab technique is acceptable and may be preferable.
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