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The Rhino-Probe nasal curette for detecting respiratory syncytial virus in children
N J Waecker1, T R Shope, P A Weber
1Department of Pediatrics, Naval Hospital, San Diego, CA 92134-5000.
Insights
The Rhino-Probe (RP) nasal curette is a sensitive and noninvasive tool for detecting respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children. It demonstrated comparable or superior RSV detection rates compared to traditional nasopharyngeal swabs and nasal washes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Virology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common cause of acute respiratory illness in children.
- Accurate and efficient viral detection methods are crucial for managing RSV outbreaks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of the Rhino-Probe (RP) nasal curette with nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs and nasal washes (NW) for RSV detection.
- To evaluate the sensitivity and practicality of the RP nasal curette in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- Two RSV outbreaks were studied involving 68 children with acute respiratory illnesses.
- RSV isolation was performed using RP nasal curette in conjunction with NP swabs and NW techniques.
- Comparison of RSV detection rates between RP curette, NP swab, and NW methods.
Main Results:
- The RP nasal curette detected RSV in 60% of subjects compared to 48% with NP swabs in the first outbreak.
- In the second outbreak, RP detected RSV in 93% of patients, while NW detected it in 87%.
- The RP curette showed higher positivity rates with the TESTPACK RSV rapid antigen test (67%) compared to NW (40%).
Conclusions:
- The RP nasal curette is a simple, noninvasive, and cost-effective method for RSV detection in children.
- The RP nasal curette demonstrated comparable or superior sensitivity to NP swabs and NW for RSV isolation.
- RP nasal curette is a viable alternative for RSV diagnostics in pediatric respiratory infections.
Abstract:
During two outbreaks of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, 68 children with acute respiratory illnesses were cultured for RSV using a Rhino-Probe (RP) nasal curette and either a nasopharyngeal (NP) swab or a nasal wash (NW). In the first outbreak isolations of RSV by the RP nasal curette and NP swab methods were compared. RSV was cultured from 25 of 42 (60%) subjects using the RP nasal curette and from 20 of 42 (48%) subjects using the NP swab. In the second outbreak the RP nasal curette and the NW collection techniques were compared. RSV was isolated from 15 of 26 (58%) children evaluated. RSV was cultured from 14 of 15 (93%) patients by RP and 13 of 15 (87%) when using NW. In the group of culture-positive subjects, the TESTPACK RSV rapid antigen test was positive in 10 of 15 (67%) using the RP and in 6 of 15 (40%) using the NW. Like the NP swab the RP nasal curette was simple, noninvasive and relatively inexpensive, yet it was as sensitive as the NW for detection of RSV.