Swab technique, cotton

Solutions characterized by significant local toxicity or staining potential (e.g., silver nitrate) can be instilled using a cotton swab as an applicator.This technique minimizes drop size and subsequent overflow onto the patient s cheek or clothing. 

Early studies demonstrated that the vomeronasal system was critical for snakes to make discriminated responses to earthworm wash. Using the technique developed by Wilde and Burghardt, snakes were presented with cotton swabs dipped in earthworm extract or distilled water. The snakes responded to the earthworm-soaked swabs by attacking the swab, but did not attack swabs soaked in distilled water. Complete, bilateral vomeronasal nerve lesions resulted in a loss of this discriminated response, but complete bilateral olfactory nerve lesions or sham lesions were without deleterious effect (Halpem and Frumin, 1979). 

Each technique has common problems that make quantitation difficult. These include (1) the nature of the surface (smooth versus pitted, flat versus irregular), (2) definition of area to be sampled, (3) amount of pressure applied to surface, and (4) the time of application. Further, one cannot be certain of complete recovery of microbes from a cotton swab. By standardizing the sampling procedure, one can improve success and make general observations that is, the operation maybe rated as good, fair, or poor. ... 

Dooms-Goossens (1995) has suggested the use of a semi-open test for testing patient-supplied products. Minute amounts (about 1-2 jiL) of the liquid product are applied with a cotton swab on an area (1 cm ) of the skin, allowed to dry completely, then covered with acrylate tape. The tape is removed after 2 days and read as ordinary patch tests. Dooms-Goossens has rarely seen very strong reactions using this technique. 

In a subsequent publication by the same group, solution nebulization ICP-MS was combined with particle screening and microsampling for analysis of individual particles (Esaka et al. 2013). Two methods were used for locating the uranium-bearing particles fission track analysis (FTA) and automated SIMS (described earlier). The particles were then manipulated inside a SEM and placed on silicon wafers and then dissolved for ICP-MS analysis. After method development and validation with particles from certified reference materials (NBL CRM U050, UlOO and U500) that were smeared on a cotton swab, a real-life sample collected at a nuclear facility was examined by both techniques. The measured ratio of the particles that were... 

In-mouth release of sugars and acids was measured using a cotton bud swabbing technique [11,12] with subsequent liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis (LCZ, Micromass, Manchester, UK). Measurements were taken at 30-sec intervals, by five panelists, during a run in which both nonvolatile components were switched off. Sucrose was monitored at mjz 341, citric acid at mjz 191, and malic acid at mjz 133). 

Figure 20-9 Sector dilation technique using cotton-tipped applicator held at inferior limbus. Phenylephrine-moistened swab is applied for approximately 20 seconds.

Swabbing is a technique in which a surface is lightly scrubbed with a moistened collector (swab), most often a cotton or alginate bud. The swab is then rolled over the surface of an agar plate. Alternatively the swab may be immersed in a liquid aiKl agitated to suspend the microorganisms collected. The liquid is then plated, or passed through a sterile membrane filter and plated on a nutrient medium. 

Treatment 3 - (Unstruck plus blood). The two trail choices consisted of unstruck mouse odor out both arms, but blood taken from the struck mouse (see next for technique) was stroked over one of the unstruck choice trails. To do this, the unstruck mouse was slid along the base of the Y-maze and out one arm then this same mouse was slid along the base of the Y-maze and out the other arm. This mouse was next presented to the snake and struck. After death, blood was drawn from it by cardiac puncture, placed on a cotton-tipped swab, and stroked over one of the two previously laid unstruck odor trails. 

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