Evaluation of bacteriological transport systems.

Seven commercially manufactured bacteriological transport systems, including Culturette, Trans-Cul (with Stuart and Amies), Handiswab, Securline (with Amies and Amies without charcoal) and Culture Caddy, were evaluated to determine whether these systems were capable of maintaining the viability and constant numbers of mixtures of hardy, fastidious and anaerobic organisms over 72 hours at 25C and 4C. The results of the study indicated that if specimens are maintained in transport systems at 25C they should be cultured at four hours to minimize loss of viability and to assure accurate quantitation. No one transport system excelled over the other for maintenance of cultures at room temperature. Most organisms survived well in all of the transport systems for 72 hours when refrigerated.