Comparative efficacy of pre-moistened sponges and E-swabs for active surveillance of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii carriage.

Abstract

We evaluated whether skin sampling with E-swabs is an effective alternative to pre-moistened sponges for detecting carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) carriage. Skin samples were collected by sponges with enrichment and E-swabs with and without enrichment. We collected 899 samples (from 250 patients); 191 samples were CRAB positive. Sensitivity was 90.8% for sponges with enrichment, 40.0% for E-swabs without enrichment, and 50.0% for E-swabs with enrichment. E-swabs failed to detect at least half of CRAB carriers detected by sponges. If E-swabs are used for CRAB screening, a negative result should carry a warning regarding low sensitivity.