COMPARISON OF 4 DIFFERENT SAMPLING METHODS FOR DETECTING PHARYNGEAL CARRIAGE OF STREPTOCOCCUS-PNEUMONIAE AND HAEMOPHILUS-INFLUENZAE IN CHILDREN

Samples from 96 children with acute respiratory infection were obtaine d simultaneously with nasal, nasopharyngeal, and oropharyngeal swabs a nd by nasopharyngeal aspiration and were cultured on chocolate and blo od agar plates. The rates of isolation of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae detected by the four sampling methods were com pared. Nasopharyngeal aspirates were optimal for the detection of both S. pneumoniae (isolation rate, 33%) and H. influenzae (isolation rate , 31%). When a nasopharyngeal aspirate is not available, such as for h ealthy children or children with no obtainable secretions, the nasopha ryngeal swab seems optimal for the detection of both S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae among children younger than 13 months of age. Among old er children, similarly, the nasopharyngeal swab seems optimal for the detection of S. pneumoniae; however, for H. influenzae, the oropharyng eal swab seems optimal.