title: Influence of diabetes on group B Streptococcus colonization in the pregnant patient.
abstract: To compare the incidence of group B Streptococcus colonization in diabetic (n = 98) and nondiabetic (n = 10) patients, 199 pregnant women were cultured at the vaginal introitus using a standardised technique. Eight diabetic patients had positive findings for group B Streptococcus cultures, and three nondiabetic patients had positive cultures. No significant difference (P = .109) was found in the group B Streptococcus colonization rates between these two groups of patients. In addition, no significant difference was found in the group B Streptococcal colonization rates between gestational and pregestational diabetics (P = .498). A within-group comparison of diabetic patients revealed that ethnicity (Hispanics versus nonhispanics) did generate a significant difference in the rate of colonization (P = .033). The results of the present study suggest that there is no substantial evidence to consider diabetes mellitus as a higher risk criterion for group B Streptococcus screening. However, population differences and ethnicity should be noted as important contributing factors when considering the implementation of group B Streptococcus screening protocols for pregnant women.
authors.affiliation: Jackson Memorial Hospital, University of Miami, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Raimer
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006205:Haiti / Q000208:ethnology; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000382:microbiology*; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000254:growth & development*; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology; D044465:White People