title: Frequency of detection of Gardnerella vaginalis in vaginal smears in the Upper Carniola region.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bacterial vaginosis is of clinical interest because of its possible causal relationship with complications during pregnancy, postpartum, and complications after surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Gram stain for clue cells and Gardnerella vaginalis culture methods were evaluated retrospectively in a microbiological medical laboratory for the first half of 2015. We were interested in the proportion of G. vaginalis bacteria isolated from genital samples, correlation with Gram-staining presence of clue cells, referral clinical diagnosis, and pregnancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the first half of 2015 we received 358 vaginal specimens; 82% of them had a referral clinical diagnosis of colpitis, cervicitis, or vaginal discharge; 40% were pregnant women. G. vaginalis was isolated from 14% of vaginal specimens, and 52% of these came from pregnant patients. Gram stain clue cells and isolation of G. vaginalis matched in 86%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For diagnosing bacterial vaginosis in clinical practice, standard clinical criteria, Gram staining of vaginal discharge smear, and/or isolation of G. vaginalis are used. Isolation of G. vaginalis without clue cells is reported only in cases in which bacterial growth is predominant. The results of our studies confirm that isolating G. vaginalis helps confirm the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis.
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Health, Environment, and Food, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Grmek Košnik
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Health, Environment, and Food, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Urška
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Dermota
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Health, Environment, and Food, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Andrej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Golle
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006194:Gardnerella vaginalis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017524:Slovenia; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*