title: Performance of Hitchens-Pike-Todd-Hewitt medium for group B streptococcus screening in pregnant women.
abstract: Group B streptococcus (GBS), which commonly colonizes the female genital tract and rectum, can cause infections in newborns with varying severity, possibly leading to death. The aim of the present study was to evaluate Hitchens-Pike-Todd-Hewitt (HPTH) medium performance for GBS screening in pregnant women. A descriptive analytical cross-sectional study was performed with 556 pregnant women, of which 496 were at 35-37 weeks of gestation and 60 were at ≥ 38 weeks of gestation. The study was conducted from September 2011 to March 2014 in northern Paraná, Brazil. Vaginal and anorectal clinical specimens from each pregnant woman were plated on sheep blood agar (SBA) and seeded on HPTH medium and Todd-Hewitt enrichment broth. Of the 496 pregnant women at 35-37 weeks of gestation, 141 (28.4%) were positive for GBS, based on the combination of the three culture media and clinical specimens. The GBS colonization rates that were detected by each medium were 22.2% for HPTH medium, 21.2% for SBA, and 13.1% for Todd-Hewitt enrichment broth. Of the 60 pregnant women at ≥ 38 weeks of gestation, seven (11.7%) were positive for GBS. These results demonstrate that HPTH medium and SBA were more sensitive than Todd-Hewitt enrichment broth for GBS screening in pregnant women and good GBS recovery in culture, indicating that the two media should be used together for vaginal and anorectal specimens.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil; Nursing Sector, State University of Northern Paraná, Bandeirantes, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Simone Cristina Castanho Sabaini
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: de Melo
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Angela Andréia França
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Gavena
authors.affiliation: Nursing Sector, State University of Northern Paraná, Bandeirantes, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flávia Teixeira Ribeiro
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Nursing Sector, State University of Northern Paraná, Bandeirantes, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo Castanho
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Regiane Bertin
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: de Lima Scodro
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosilene Fressatti
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vera Lúcia Dias
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rúbia Andreia Faleiros
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: de Pádua
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Dalva de Barros
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil; Department of Nursing, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sandra Marisa
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pelloso
mesh_terms: D001003:Anal Canal / Q000382:microbiology*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003470:Culture Media / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012007:Rectum / Q000382:microbiology*; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media