The documentary 'Tackling MRSA and Other Hospital Related Infections', to be broadcast in December 2009, will feature a Copan E-Swab MRSA kit from Sterilin.
The documentary stresses the importance of good sample collection in MRSA screening programmes and covers all aspects of MRSA infection control.
The Copan E-Swab MRSA kit (available exclusively in the UK from Sterilin) enhances the collection of specimens for MRSA screening.
Good sample collection is critical to the successful isolation of any infectious agent from a patient.
The new Copan 'flocked' swab offers several advantages over traditional swabs.
The moulded plastic tip base is electrostatically coated with high density, perpendicular nylon fibres to produce a flocked pile.
This brush-like structure allows the efficient removal of the sample from the body surface and the uptake of liquid through capillary action.
In addition, since the shape of the swab is determined by the shape of the plastic moulding, the flocked pile is only 1-2mm deep.
This allows the sample to remain close to the surface of the swab at all times, enabling efficient sample release and improved recovery rates.
Two Copan flocked swab products are available for MRSA screening.
The standard Copan E-Swab is used for the collection and transport of individual patient samples and the Copan E-Swab MRSA kit is suitable for the collection and transport of up to three samples from a single patient.
Sampling multiple sites maximises the chances of identifying MRSA colonisation.
All three swabs from a single patient can then be concentrated into a single aliquot of liquid medium, which can be processed as a single sample, keeping laboratory workload to a minimum.
Alison Smith, marketing director for Sterilin, said: 'The success of mandatory screening for MRSA depends very much on the quality of specimens.
'The Copan E-Swab MRSA kit is designed specifically to enhance MRSA sample collection.
'Not only does it improve sampling technique and patient comfort but, by improving sample uptake and release, it also ensures accurate and reliable recovery of MRSA,' she added.
The programme will be broadcast on NHS 247 TV on 3, 6, 17 and 20 December.
The documentary can also be viewed at the NHS's website until December 2010.
