Skin sampling-validation of a pad method and comparison with commonly used methods.

Two types of pad were tested for sampling bacteria from the skin. One pad was made of 85% viscose and a 15% mixture of polyester and polyamide fibres, the other was made of polyvinyl-alcohol foam. The efficiency was calculated using double samples and 8 consecutive samples. The two pads were equally efficient and more efficient when moist. Their efficiency was compared with that of the bud swab, the Rodac plate and the scrub cylinder method. Using the double sample method for calculation, the scrub cylinder method and the pads were equally efficient, around 50%. As calculated from consecutive samples the efficiency of the pads was about 45%, the efficiency of the cylinder scrub method 29%, and that of the bud swab and Rodac plate 16% and 5% respectively. The low efficiency of the Rodac plate may be partly explained by the fact that microcolonies and not bacterial cells are sampled with this method.