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Eye swab is a test for the presence of bacterial flora, protozoa and fungi that can cause inflammation in the eye. Check how the eye smear is collected and how to prepare for it.
Eye swabis prescribed when the organ becomes inflamed. An eye swab is a test for the presence of aerobic and anaerobic flora, as well as other pathogens, such as protozoa and fungi, which also cause inflammation of the conjunctiva or the cornea.
Eye swab: preparation for examination
When taking a swab from the eye, it is important not to use antibacterial drugs - drops and ointments - before the test.
Eye swab: test procedure
A cotton swab on a thin wire is most often used to smear the conjunctival sac. In special cases, special tools are used - platinum or disposable ones. Loops, also called bacteriological loops, look like thin wires or needles with a small loop at the end. Sometimes a sample is taken with special threads, which are placed in the conjunctival sac and then transferred to a container with a liquid transport material.
If the doctor orders a corneal swab, the eye is anesthetized before the material is collected. The swabbing person scrapes the test material with a sterile spatula and places it in the tube with the shipping material.