title: Tampon sampling for diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis: a potentially useful way to detect genital infections?
abstract: Genital tract infections are important causes of ill health in developing countries, but diagnosis is difficult. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) was correctly diagnosed by using a vaginal specimen obtained by tampon sampling in 22 of 24 women (91.6%) for whom BV was diagnosed by Gram staining. The yield for other vaginal infections was higher (28% for Trichomonas vaginalis and 32.7% for Candida albicans) than it was for cervical infections (0% for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and 30% for Chlamydia trachomatis). Tampon sampling was acceptable to patients and may facilitate diagnosis of genital infections in developing countries.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Epidemiological Research in South Africa, Medical Research Council, and Hlabisa Hospital.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ndovela
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kharsany
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Connolly
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Sturm
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009181:Mycoses / Q000175:diagnosis; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D013630:Tampons, Surgical; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis*