OBJECTIVE To determine the extent of agreement and patterns of disagreement between wound swab and tissue samples in patients with an infected diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). DESIGN Multicentre, prospective, cross-sectional study. SETTING Primary and secondary care foot ulcer/diabetic outpatient clinics and hospital wards across England. PARTICIPANTS Inclusion criteria: consenting patients age...

OBJECTIVES We explored Muslim women's attitudes to self-sampling for human papillomavirus (HPV) in the context of cervical cancer screening and their responses to two self-sampling devices. SETTING A Muslim community centre in north-east London. METHODS Following a talk given on the subject of cervical cancer and HPV at the community centre, 28 women were recruited to take part in three foc...

We amplified and sequenced the complete genome of enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) that had been collected from classroom air using a filter-based air sampling method and by swab sampling of environmental surfaces. Relatively high levels of EV-D68 genome equivalents were found per cubic meter of air by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR).

Variation in clinical accuracy of molecular diagnostic methods for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is commonly observed depending on the sample source, the method of DNA recovery and the molecular test. Few attempts have been made to compare these variables. Two swab and aspirate samples from lesions of patients with suspected CL (n = 105) were evaluated alongside standard diagnosis by microscopic...

BACKGROUND Oral candidiasis is an infection caused by a yeast-like fungus called Candida. Various methods can be used to isolate Candida from the oral cavity. However, it is difficult to correctly and satisfactorily diagnose oral candidiasis because currently no microbiological or laboratory standards based on samples from the oral cavity are available. The aim of this study is to establish a r...

This research was designed to evaluate surface sampling protocols for use with culture and quantitative PCR (QPCR) amplification assay for detection of the gram-negative bacterial biothreat simulant Erwinia herbicola on a variety of surface materials. Surfaces selected for evaluation were wood laminate, glass and computer monitor screens, metal file cabinets, plastic arena seats, nylon seat cus...

In an effort to better understand the relationship between different fungal sampling methods in the indoor environment, four methods were used to quantify mold contamination in 13 homes with visible mold. Swab, fungal spore source strength tester (FSSST), and air samples (total of 52 samples) were analyzed using both the microscopic (total spore count) and culture-based (CFU count) enumeration ...

the identification and evaluation of trichomonas vaginalis among women was performed over a period of three months in ilesha. the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of trichomonas vaginalis in women in relation to different samples collected and level of education. 310 samples from high vaginal, endocervical and urethral regions of female patients were analyzed using gram stainin...