Rectal and Nares Swabs: Practical and Informative Samples for Analyzing the Microbiota of Critically Ill Patients.

This study compared four sample types – rectal swabs, nares swabs, antecubital swabs, and stool for analysis of the microbiota in critically ill intensive care unit (ICU) patients. We assessed the ease of acquisition, suitability for 16S sequencing, and correlation of the microbiota with circulating cytokines as a non-microbiologic indicator of patient status for each of these sample types.