Per-nasal swabbing as an aid to the diagnosis of chlamydial and adenovirus conjunctivitis.

Two hundred and thirty four patients (adults and babies) with conjunctivitis were investigated by taking eye swabs and in addition by taking per-nasal swabs. Chlamydia trachomatis was isolated from 20 patients and adenovirus from 14 patients. Per-nasal swabbing led to a 53% increase in chlamydia diagnosis and a 27% increase in the diagnosis of adenovirus infection. It is suggested that per-nasal swabbing has an important role to play in detecting chlamydial conjunctivitis which itself may be an indicator for high morbidity in patients and their contacts.