Just a swab you say? Balderdash!

Swab transport devices have long been used for collection and transport of certain specimen types that are submitted for microbiology testing. For many individuals, swabs are a generic commodity, and there is little appreciation of the potential variability in performance. The purposes of this article are to explain why swab collection devices should not be treated as commodities and to educate microbiologists on factors that should be considered in the selection of swab collection devices for their laboratories. This article includes a review of the importance of various components of swab transport devices, particularly the types of fibers and media. The strengths and weaknesses of different sterilization methods are reviewed as well. Lastly, the significance of a new NCCLS document, Quality Control of Microbiological Transport Systems: Approved Standard, M-40, is discussed.