Added value of an oropharyngeal swab in detection of viruses in children hospitalized with lower respiratory tract infection

J Clin Microbiol. 2011 Jun;49(6):2318-20. doi: 10.1128/JCM.02605-10. Epub 2011 Apr 13.

Abstract

Paired nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs collected from 533 children hospitalized with lower respiratory tract infection were assessed by multiplex reverse transcription-PCR. Oropharyngeal swabs increased the number of viral infections detected by 15%, compared to collection of a nasopharyngeal swab alone. This advantage was most pronounced for detection of influenza, parainfluenza, and adenovirus.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Nasopharynx / virology
  • Oropharynx / virology*
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / diagnosis*
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / virology*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Specimen Handling / methods*
  • Virology / methods
  • Virus Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Virus Diseases / virology*
  • Viruses / isolation & purification*