Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are a significant global health concern, affecting millions of people and leading to hospital visits, ICU admissions, and premature mortality. RTIs refer to illnesses caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi that impact the airway tract in humans, including the sinuses, throat, trachea, bronchi, and lungs. These infections are highly contagious and can spread quickly from person to person through contact with secretions from coughing, breathing, talking, or sneezing. Common respiratory infections include upper respiratory infections (URTIs), lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), Tuberculosis, bacterial and viral Pneumonia, COVID-19, Influenza (Flu), bronchitis, and bronchiolitis.
Tips for collecting respiratory infection specimens:
The availability of precisely collected, well-preserved, and non-contaminated specimens is the cornerstone for laboratory testing and in-vitro diagnostic research. Testing on respiratory secretions collected from the patients is crucial for diagnosing and assessing the infection's severity and extent.
Throat swabs, nasopharyngeal swabs, oropharyngeal swabs, sputum, and tracheal secretions are recommended specimens for testing. Here are some essential tips for collecting these samples from patients.
The type of specimen collected depends on the location of the infection. For suspected upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), throat swabs or non-pharyngeal samples are preferred. For lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), sputum or endotracheal secretions are collected from suspected patients. Following are the steps to collect specimens for testing respiratory tract infection.
To collect a throat swab, the patient should tilt their head back and open their mouth wide. The swab is then inserted into the throat and rubbed gently against the back of the throat and tonsils. To collect a nasopharyngeal swab, the swab is inserted into one nostril and advanced to the back of the nasopharynx. The swab is then rotated, withdrawn, and placed into the collection tube. The patient should be instructed to cough deeply and expectorate into a sterile container to collect sputum.
For tracheal secretions, a specialized suction catheter is inserted through the nose or mouth into the trachea, and secretions are aspirated. Proper handling and storage of collected specimens with active quality control are also crucial to avoid contamination and to derive accurate test results. Also, Samples should be transported to the laboratory as soon as possible and stored at the appropriate temperature until testing to avoid deterioration.
Discover thousands of respiratory infection samples:
Central BioHub has introduced an extensive collection of respiratory infection samples gathered from patients worldwide, paving the way for new avenues of research in this field. The platform provides human biospecimens, including human serum and plasma, whole blood, and nasopharyngeal specimens and swabs for various respiratory tract infections such as COVID-19, bacterial pneumonia, viral pneumonia, RSV, Tuberculosis, influenza A & B, parainfluenza, and more. These respiratory biological specimens are suitable for biomedical and diagnostic research and can be purchased online. Check out their inventory to explore and order respiratory infection samples:https://centralbiohub.de/blogs/explore-respiratory-tract-infection-specimens