Key result
Throat swabs were the most useful single specimen for diagnosing hand-foot-and-mouth disease (positive in 49% of patients), and combining throat and vesicle swabs identified the virus in 67%.
Why the study?
Does a specific clinical sample or combination of samples improve the diagnostic yield of virus culture in children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease?
Observational (n=725)
No
Does a specific clinical sample or combination of samples improve the diagnostic yield of virus culture in children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease?
Throat swabs combined with vesicle swabs (if present) or rectal swabs (if absent) provide the highest diagnostic yield for virus isolation in hand-foot-and-mouth disease.
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May aid specimen selection to raise diagnostic yield in HFMD; extends observational data but warrants prospective validation.
Ooi et al. (2007) conducted an observational in Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease (n=725). Clinical sample types (throat, vesicle, rectal, ulcer swabs) was evaluated on Positive viral isolation for enterovirus. Throat swabs were the most useful single specimen for diagnosing hand-foot-and-mouth disease (positive in 49% of patients), and combining throat and vesicle swabs identified the virus in 67%.
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