Zdravniški Vestnik (Jan 2007)
Assessment of laboratory procedures for group B streptococci screening in pregnant women
Abstract
Background: Group B streptococci (GBS) are the leading cause of sepsis and meningitis in newborns. The infection in the newborn is caused by GBS that colonize the birth canal. This review of possibilities for laboratory work-up of swabs for GBS screening in pregnant women was precipitated by findings that inappropriate laboratory procedures can significantly contribute to false negative results.Conclusions: Most widely used guidelines for prevention of group B streptococcal disease are the guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control. These guidelines include collection of cultures between 35 and 37 weeks’ gestation and use of basic microbiological media. Research showed that there are significant differences in media performance, therefore media selection is crucial. Data show that Granada agar has a better sensitivity than the CDC procedure. Nevertheless, in the future all culture-based screening methods will be replaced by rapid in-labor tests. Their biggest advantage is identifying newborns and mothers that are truly at risk.
