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Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Influenza Outbreaks in Residential Care Facilities for Public Health Units in Australia

Appendix 8: Guidelines for Taking Nasal and Throat Swabs

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The person taking nasal or throat swabs should be wearing appropriate PPE (gloves, gown, mask, eyewear).

Nasal Swabs - Method

  • sketch image of taking a nasal swabEnsure that the patient does not blow his/her nose prior to taking the nasal swabs
  • Tilt patients head back gently and steady the chin
  • Insert cotton bud end of dry sterile swab into right nostril and rub firmly against the turbinate (to ensure swab contains cells as well as mucus)
  • Insert swab into tube of transport medium, break off shaft of swab and recap tube
  • Repeat procedure for left nostril using new sterile swab and insert into same tube of transport medium.


    Throat Swabs - Method

  • sketch image of taking a throat swabAsk patient to open mouth and stick their tongue out
  • Use tongue spatula to press the tongue downward to floor of the mouth
  • Use sterile cotton swab to swab both of the tonsillar arches and the posterior nasopharynx, without touching the sides of the mouth
  • Insert swab into same transport tube containing nose swabs, break off shaft and recap tube firmly.

    Transport to laboratory

    Label the transport tube with the patient’s initials, date of birth, case number and date of collection. Place all transport tubes in a plastic bag and complete request form making sure to include the name of the Facility. The plastic bag containing specimens should be packaged in an esky with ice bricks and sent to the laboratory as soon as possible. If necessary arrange transport with the Public Health Unit.

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    • Table of Contents
    Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Influenza Outbreaks in Residential Care Facilities for Public Health Units in Australia
      Disclaimer
      Acknowledgements
      Preface
      How to use this document
      Summary Flow Chart
      Chapter 1: Introduction
       1.1 Influenza
       1.2 Linkages with other documents and the internet
      Chapter 2: Preventing Outbreaks
       2.1 Vaccination
       2.2 Infection Control Precautions
      Chapter 3: Outbreak and Case Definitions
       3.1 Introduction
       3.2 Respiratory Disease Outbreak Definition
       3.3 Case definition
       3.4 Outcome definitions
      Chapter 4: Investigation and Management of Outbreaks
       4.1 Assess the Suspected Outbreak
       4.2 Outbreak Investigation and Management Team
       4.3 The Investigation
       4.4 Diagnostic tests
       4.5 Documents for communication with the facility
       4.6 Outbreak control measures
       4.7 Monitoring the outbreak
       4.8 Declare that the outbreak is over
       4.9 Debriefing
      Chapter 5: References
      Appendices
       Appendix 1: Environmental Cleaning
       Appendix 2: Respiratory Outbreak Control Measures
       Appendix 3: Checklist for Public Health Unit for Investigation and Management of Outbreaks
       Appendix 4: Respiratory Outbreak Line Listing - Residents ONLY
       Appendix 5: Part A Respiratory Outbreak Line Listing Form - Staff ONLY
       Appendix 6: Influenza & Pneumococcal Immunisation Survey
       Appendix 7: Sample Collection Guide*
       Appendix 8: Guidelines for Taking Nasal and Throat Swabs
       Appendix 9: Respiratory outbreak transfer notification
       Appendix 10: Visitor Restriction Sign - Facility
       Appendix 11: Visitor Restriction Sign - Room
       Appendix 12: Antiviral medications for treatment and prophylaxis of influenza
       Appendix 13: Respiratory illness/Influenza outbreak alert letter to RCF Manager
       Appendix 14: Respiratory illness/Influenza outbreak alert letter to medical practitioner
       Appendix 15: Glossary and List of Abbreviations