RSV specimen collection methods: nasal vs. nasopharyngeal.

PURPOSE

To compare two types of specimen collection methods for RSV (respiratory syncytial virus): nasal wash and nasopharyngeal wash.

METHODOLOGY

An exploratory descriptive research design was used to examine nasopharyngeal wash and nasal wash methods of collecting specimens for RSV to determine if one method gives more consistently accurate results. Sample size was 66.

FINDINGS

Using chi square analysis on a contingency table, there was no significant difference between the two collection methods. Only 2 of the 66 samples showed a difference in the two collection methods by giving a positive result with the nasopharyngeal method.

CONCLUSIONS

There is no significant difference between using nasal wash and nasopharyngeal wash methods for collecting specimen for RSV testing. Nasal wash is a safe and accurate method for obtaining specimen for RSV.