Objectives
BV is primarily diagnosed by the application of Amsel’s Criteria, a differential clinical diagnostic practice performed at bedside, and/or by the gold-standard, Nugent Scoring (NS), a formal Gram staining microscopy methodology. The objective of this study design was to determine if another specimen type, the ESwab™ transport media, could be used as an alternative to a direct smear, the standard specimen type for NS.
Methods
Traditional vaginal smears (direct smear) for NS were prepared at 6 sites during the study. Direct smears were fixed, stained, and interpreted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). An ESwab™ was also collected at the time of visit and sent to Pathology Inc. (Torrance, CA). Fifty microliters of ESwab™ wash was applied onto a slide for NS processing and interpretation. All slides were read by two different readers at each site, with conflicting results delineated by a third ‘arbiter’ reader. Agreement statistics were used to compare traditional swab and ESwab™ media NS outcome, and parity amongst readers.
Methods
Traditional vaginal smears (direct smear) for NS were prepared at 6 sites during the study. Direct smears were fixed, stained, and interpreted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). An ESwab™ was also collected at the time of visit and sent to Pathology Inc. (Torrance, CA). Fifty microliters of ESwab™ wash was applied onto a slide for NS processing and interpretation. All slides were read by two different readers at each site, with conflicting results delineated by a third ‘arbiter’ reader. Agreement statistics were used to compare traditional swab and ESwab™ media NS outcome, and parity amongst readers.
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