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Screening for Pseudomonas

Steps are taken to control and minimise the spread of Pseudomonas by screening for presence of the bacterium on the parts of the body where it can commonly be found.

Taking swabs

Screening is usually done by taking swabs from different areas of the body. The areas swabbed may involve:

  • the nose/ throat secretions
  • armpit
  • groin/ perineum
  • sometimes the navel (belly button)

Each person tested will undergo two sets of screens, with 72 hours between each screen. The results are usually available in three to five days.

How will the swab screen be taken?

Nasal swabs, moistened with sterile water or sterile fluid, are taken by gently inserting a swab into a nostril, and rotating it for a count of five seconds before repeating the process with the other nostril.

It is not necessary to insert the swab too far into the nasal passage. The swab is then placed carefully into its container, labelled and sent to the laboratory in the hospital.

The procedure for collecting a throat swab is similar. A swab of the back of the throat is taken by once again rotating a swab as it is moved gently back and forth across the throat.

Swabs from the perineum or groin area are taken by gently brushing across the area.

Other parts of the body, if applicable, may be swabbed using the same technique, and sent together with the rest of the screen, for example:

  • breaks in the skin
  • wounds

A sample of urine if a catheter is present and sputum if a productive cough is present may also be sent for testing.

What happens if a patient is found to have Pseudomonas?

Hospital staff need to take special precautions with patients who have Pseudomonas in order to stop it spreading. Patients colonised or infected with Pseudomonas may be kept away from other patients by being placed in a separate room/ area, either alone or with other patients who also have Pseudomonas.

There is no decolonisation regime (in the form of a body wash or ointment) for Pseudomonas colonisation. However, a patient who is unwell with Pseudomonas infection may require treatment with antibiotics.

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