Nasopharyngeal culture
(NPS)

Sample type:

Nasopharyngeal swab

Uses:

The test identifies viruses and bacteria that cause upper respiratory tract symptoms. These include:

• Bordetella pertussis, the bacteria that cause whooping cough

• Neisseria meningitidis, the bacteria that cause meningococcal meningitis

• Staphylococcus aureus, the bacteria that cause staph infections

• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

• Viral infections such as influenza or respiratory syncytial virus

Precautions:

• Technician need personal protective equipment (PPE), including a gown, nonsterile gloves, a protective mask, and a face shield.

• Make sure that all sample tubes have been labeled and that the appropriate requisition forms have been filled out before starting the procedure.

• Maintain asepsis during all procedure

• Check the patient’s history for recent antimicrobial therapy

Interfering factor:

• Nasopharyngeal specimens are not reliable for determining the causative agents of sinusitis, otitis media or lower respiratory infections.

• Antibiotics may interfere and affect the test results.

Pre-analytical errors:

• Labeling specimens

• Contaminations of the specimens

• Preserving specimens

• Transporting of the specimens

Corrective action:

• Specimen should be labeled

• Collection should be as aseptic as possible

• Specimen should be transported quickly to prevent drying out.

Post-analytical errors:

• Delayed report

Reference range:

A normal or negative test shows no disease-causing organisms.