Self-collection of group B Streptococcus cultures in pregnant women.
OBJECTIVE
This study assesses the sensitivity of self-collected rectovaginal culture specimens for group B Streptococcus by pregnant patients.


METHODS
A volunteer sample of 240 pregnant women at 28 weeks gestation self-collected rectovaginal culture swabs to screen for the presence of group B Streptococcus. The patients' physicians collected second specimens for comparison.


RESULTS
Twenty-four of 240 women grew group B Streptococcus on at least one culture (incidence, 10%). Twenty physician-collected specimens and 19 patient-collected specimens were positive (83 and 79% sensitivity, respectively). Fifteen patients (62.5%) had both physician-collected and patient-collected cultures grow group B Streptococcus. Cohen's kappa (kappa = 0.75) indicates a high degree of agreement between patient-collected and physician-collected cultures.


CONCLUSIONS
Pregnant women are as likely as their attending physicians to obtain positive cultures for group B Streptococcus by self-collection of rectovaginal swabs.
Spieker
M R
MR
Department of Family Medicine, F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
White
D G
DG
Quist
B K
BK
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D009326:Naval Medicine; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*; D012007:Rectum / Q000382:microbiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology