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Published on: October 1, 2007
Capture of Group A Streptococcus by open-microfluidic CandyCollect device in pediatric patients
Wan-Chen Tu1, Ingrid H Robertson1, Andrea Blom2
1Department of Chemistry University of Washington Seattle Washington USA.
Insights
CandyCollect, a lollipop-like device, effectively collects Group A Streptococcus (GAS) samples from children with pharyngitis. Both children and caregivers preferred this novel method over traditional swabs, showing high willingness for at-home use.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Microfluidic devices
- Diagnostic sampling methods
Background:
- Diagnosing streptococcal pharyngitis in children is difficult due to discomfort from traditional swabs.
- This discomfort can lead to clinic avoidance, misdiagnosis, and improper treatment for pediatric sore throats.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of CandyCollect, a lollipop-inspired device, for collecting Group A Streptococcus (GAS) samples.
- To compare user preference for CandyCollect against conventional pharyngeal and mouth swabs in children with pharyngitis.
Main Methods:
- Children with pharyngitis used CandyCollect, conventional pharyngeal swabs, and mouth swabs for sample collection.
- Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) was used to detect GAS.
- Caregiver and child preferences for each collection method were assessed.
Main Results:
- All participants (30/30) tested positive for GAS using qPCR on both mouth swabs and CandyCollect.
- Caregivers rated CandyCollect highly (27/30) and would recommend it for children aged 5+ (30/30).
- Most children enjoyed CandyCollect (23/30) and preferred it for future testing (24/30), with high willingness for at-home use (28/30).
Conclusions:
- CandyCollect demonstrates efficacy in collecting GAS samples from pediatric patients with pharyngitis.
- Both children and caregivers showed a preference for CandyCollect over traditional swabs.
- Future research will focus on larger cohorts and optimizing collection time while retaining the device's appeal.
State The Purpose:
Obtaining high-quality samples to diagnose streptococcal pharyngitis in pediatric patients is challenging due to discomfort associated with traditional pharyngeal swabs. This may cause reluctance to go to the clinic, inaccurate diagnosis, or inappropriate treatment for children with sore throats. Here, we determined the efficacy of CandyCollect, a lollipop-inspired open-microfluidic pathogen collection device, to capture Group A Streptococcus (GAS) and compare user preference for CandyCollect, conventional pharyngeal swabs, or mouth swabs in children with pharyngitis and their caregivers.
Results:
All child participants (30/30) were positive for GAS by qPCR on both the mouth swab and CandyCollect. Caregivers ranked CandyCollect as a good sampling method overall (27/30), and all caregivers (30/30) would recommend CandyCollect for children 5 years and older. Twenty-three of 30 children "really like" the taste and 24/30 would prefer to use CandyCollect if a future test were needed. All caregivers (30/30) and most children (28/30) would be willing to use CandyCollect at home.
Conclusion:
All participants tested positive for GAS on all three collection methods (pharyngeal swab, mouth swab, and CandyCollect). While both caregivers and children like CandyCollect, some caregivers would prefer a shorter collection time. Future work includes additional studies with larger cohorts presenting with pharyngitis of unknown etiology and shortening collection time while maintaining the attractive form of the device.
