{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T14:07:02Z","timestamp":1781186822585,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":18,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Arch Dis Child Educ Pract Ed"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2014,1,16]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2015,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Conjunctivitis is a very common presentation to general practitioners and general paediatricians. The investigation of conjunctivitis can be a significant cost to microbiology laboratories due to the high volume of samples that can be submitted, particularly from patients in the community. The key issue is to send eye swabs in clinical situations where it can make a difference to management, and limiting the use of eye swabs in routine cases of conjunctivitis which are likely to be due to viruses. For investigation of neonatal conjunctivitis we recommend sending a bacterial swab for routine culture, and also a swab for molecular detection of <jats:italic>Chlamydia trachomatis<\/jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Neisseria gonorrhoeae<\/jats:italic>. In older children with mild conjunctivitis no swab is necessary unless there is marked conjunctival injection. In this article we also highlight patient populations that require specialist tests to be sent as part of their assessment such as contact lens wearers and sexually active teenagers.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/archdischild-2013-305271","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2014,2,12]],"date-time":"2014-02-12T21:54:38Z","timestamp":1392242078000},"page":"155-161","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["How to use\u2026 eye swabs"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"100","author":[{"given":"Richard J","family":"Drew","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Theresa S","family":"Cole","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"William","family":"Newman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Paediatric Ophthalmology, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2014,2,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025090700141847000_100.3.155.1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2415-9-13"},{"key":"2025090700141847000_100.3.155.2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2296-8-54"},{"key":"2025090700141847000_100.3.155.3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/ICO.0b013e3181909362"},{"key":"2025090700141847000_100.3.155.4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/ICO.0b013e31820770f4"},{"key":"2025090700141847000_100.3.155.5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhin.2011.11.007"},{"key":"2025090700141847000_100.3.155.6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpeds.2004.11.032"},{"key":"2025090700141847000_100.3.155.7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1201-9712(01)90088-8"},{"key":"2025090700141847000_100.3.155.8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0036933013482635"},{"key":"2025090700141847000_100.3.155.9","first-page":"262","article-title":"Validation of PCR for the detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from corneal samples","volume":"4","author":"Hillenbrand","year":"2011","journal-title":"Int J Ophthalmol"},{"key":"2025090700141847000_100.3.155.10","first-page":"1","article-title":"Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines, 2010","volume":"59","author":"Workowski","year":"2010","journal-title":"MMWR Recomm Rep"},{"key":"2025090700141847000_100.3.155.11","first-page":"CD001211","article-title":"Antibiotics versus placebo for acute bacterial conjunctivitis","volume":"9","author":"Sheikh","year":"2012","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst Rev"},{"key":"2025090700141847000_100.3.155.12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.01930-12"},{"key":"2025090700141847000_100.3.155.13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0001234"},{"key":"2025090700141847000_100.3.155.14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jamaophthalmol.2013.778"},{"key":"2025090700141847000_100.3.155.15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"670242","DOI":"10.1155\/2013\/670242","article-title":"Acanthamoeba keratitis: a 12-year experience covering a wide spectrum of presentations, diagnoses, and outcomes","volume":"2013","author":"Page","year":"2013","journal-title":"J Ophthalmol"},{"key":"2025090700141847000_100.3.155.16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.diagmicrobio.2012.06.001"},{"key":"2025090700141847000_100.3.155.17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/ICO.0b013e3182032196"},{"key":"2025090700141847000_100.3.155.18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1167\/iovs.11-8587"}],"container-title":["Archives of disease in childhood - Education &amp; practice edition"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/archdischild-2013-305271","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,7]],"date-time":"2025-09-07T07:14:29Z","timestamp":1757229269000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/ep.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/archdischild-2013-305271"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2014,2,12]]},"references-count":18,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2015,5,18]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2015,6]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/archdischild-2013-305271"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/archdischild-2013-305271","relation":{},"ISSN":["1743-0585","1743-0593"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1743-0585","type":"print"},{"value":"1743-0593","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2014,2,12]]}}}