Puritan’s Liquid Amies Transport System is capable of maintaining viability of Bordetella pertussis, the most common cause of whooping cough, for up to 48 hours, according to a study presented at the 114th General Meeting of American Society of Microbiology.
The study, entitled “Evaluation of Three Swab Transport Systems for the Recovery of Respiratory Tract Pathogens,” demonstrated that Puritan’s Liquid Amies exhibits superior collection and release efficiency over Copan's similarly branded products.
Puritan Liquid Amies Viable Substitube for Regan-Lowe Transport Medium
Proper specimen collection and transport is a critical pre-diagnostic step in early detection and antibiotic administration of Bordetella pertussis. Traditionally, specimens are collected during the first two weeks of incubation period using nasopharyngeal swabs.
If delays are anticipated between specimen collection and processing time, it is recommended swabs be placed into a specialized Regan-Lowe Transport medium and stored until ready to be processed.
However, this new study shows that Puritan Liquid Amies Collection and Transport System can be considered a viable alternative transport medium to Regan-Lowe Transport Medium for Bordetella pertussis.
Three Swab Transport Systems Compared
The study compared Puritan’s Liquid Amies Transport System with two variations of a Copan transport system for the recovery of respiratory tract pathogens including Bordetella pertussis for up to 48 hours. The three products compared were:
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Copan’s ESwab Transport System with a modified Liquid Amies medium and nylon flocked swab.
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Copan’s Transystem containing a Liquid Stuart medium filled sponge with a double rayon tipped swab.
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Puritan's Liquid Amies Collection and Transport System with a modified Liquid Amies medium and HydraFlock® flocked swab.
The results demonstrate that Puritan’s Liquid Amies Collection and Transport System is capable of maintaining viability of Bordetella pertussis for up to 48 hours, and that the Puritan system outperformed Copan's for some fastidious organisms.
Early Detection of Whooping Cough (Pertussis) is Essential
Whopping cough (pertussis), most commonly caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, is an acute respiratory tract infection characterized by severe cough, sneezing, and mild fever. It is a major cause of mortality in infants younger than 2 years old. Therefore, early detection and treatment is critical in improving the mortality rate in infants.
Puritan’s Liquid Amies transport system combines a modified Liquid Amies medium with a patented HydraFlock® flocked swab, providing an ideal buffered environment for the most efficient collection and transport of clinically significant bacteria. Puritan’s Liquid Amies has also recently been shown to be compatible with all laboratory automation instruments.
Other benefits to using Liquid Amies in place of the Regan-Lowe Transport Medium include:
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Further consolidating and streamlining of laboratory workflow
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Improvement of specimen processing turnaround time
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Fewer inventory items to order and account for
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More cost efficient
