Skin swabs are used to sample microbes on the skin, but are typically only taken from infected areas. They are important for identifying dangerous pathogens and for researching microbial ecology. MRSA can be detected through skin swabs, and scientists study skin swabs to understand the natural habitats of microbes.
Although the skin is home to many different microbial species, it is not the most hospitable place for most microorganisms due to its dryness and relative saltiness. A skin swab is a way to sample microbes that live on the skin. Because doctors are typically only interested in the bacteria, viruses, or fungi that cause the infection, a patient usually doesn’t have healthy skin swabbed, just the infected areas. In certain situations, such as when the management of a healthcare facility wants to identify the presence of dangerous pathogens, healthy skin can be swabbed. This form of analysis is also important for researchers of microbial ecology and disease transmission.
Swabs for use in microbiology are usually completely sterile scraps of material. The swab material may be on the end of a long handle that may be held by the doctor. There are different types of swabs, but they all perform the same function, which is to be rubbed on a surface to remove the biological substances of interest. Skin swabs are typically for collecting microbes, while some other types of swabs, such as cervical swabs, are designed to collect cells from the patient.
When a patient has an infection on their skin, swabs that a doctor can use to sample the infection may fall under the definition of a skin swab. Typically, the doctor takes the sample from the infected area, such as the abscess, and not from the surrounding unaffected skin. Sampling pus or fluid from an infected area is generally, however, more helpful than a swab. Research is ongoing into whether a skin swab can be used to diagnose certain types of infectious diseases, such as chlamydia, instead of more invasive swab tests.
Some dangerous pathogens can travel harmlessly on some people’s skin, but pose a risk to others if transmitted. One example is Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) which is closely related to normal skin flora, but has evolved to be highly resistant to antibiotics. This makes getting infected with the bacteria very risky, especially for people who are already ill or have open wounds.
MRSA can travel to hospitals on the skin of healthy or sick people and settle in the hospital. When staff at a healthcare facility suspect MRSA may be present, they can perform a skin swab test on patients to find out who, if any, carries the bacterium. Preferred places on the body for the bacteria include the sides of the nose, areas under the arm, and the skin in general.
Scientists studying the natural habitats of microbes are also interested in the results of skin swabs. These represent the population of microbes that can live naturally on the skin. Differences in the population profile over time can also tell scientists which microbes live there long-term and which ones use the skin as a transient home before moving on.
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