Study of the nasopharyngeal microflora obtained by a cotton swab

: Whether or not a representative sample of the nasopharyngeal microflora can be obtained by introducing a cotton swab through the nasal cavity has been evaluated. Also, a correlation between these results and those achieved from the middle ear effusions, has been searched. Ninety adenoidectomy-pending children, fifty of whom also presented otitis media with effusion, were included in the study. The research showed that there were a coincidence (p < 0.001) among the results obtained from the nasal cotton swab, those obtained from cultures of adenoid biopsies and the middle ear effusions.