title: A new micro swim-up procedure for sperm preparation in ICSI treatments: preliminary microbiological testing.
abstract: This study aimed to assess the levels of microbial contamination in semen samples before and after the micro swim-up (MSU) procedure in intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The new method is an upgrade to the classic wash swim-up procedure.
  
  
  
  Semen analysis and microbiological tests were carried out before and after the MSU procedure. A total of twenty semen samples were analyzed.
  
  
  
  Pathogens were observed in semen samples only before MSU and never after ICSI. Microbiological tests revealed a large prevalence of gram-positive cocci [Staphylococcus spp. (n=16, 80%) and viridans streptococci (n=10, 50%)]. The results of this study indicate that direct MSU in ICSI improved the ICSI workflow.
  
  
  
  The new workflow is faster and more affordable, and is likely to prevent infection problems that could arise from the normal microbial flora of the semen.
authors: Cervesi Hospital, IVF Unit, AUSL Romagna, Italy.
authors: Simone
authors: S
authors: Palini
authors: Cervesi Hospital, IVF Unit, AUSL Romagna, Italy.
authors: Mariangela
authors: M
authors: Primiterra
authors: Cervesi Hospital, IVF Unit, AUSL Romagna, Italy.
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: De Stefani
authors: Unit of Microbiology, The Greater Romagna Hub Laboratory, AUSL della Romagna, Pievesestina, Cesena, Italy.
authors: Maria Federica
authors: MF
authors: Pedna
authors: Unit of Microbiology, The Greater Romagna Hub Laboratory, AUSL della Romagna, Pievesestina, Cesena, Italy.
authors: Monica
authors: M
authors: Sparacino
authors: Unit of Microbiology, The Greater Romagna Hub Laboratory, AUSL della Romagna, Pievesestina, Cesena, Italy.
authors: Patrizia
authors: P
authors: Farabegoli
authors: University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Section of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Urbino, Italy.
authors: Serena
authors: S
authors: Benedetti
authors: Cervesi Hospital, IVF Unit, AUSL Romagna, Italy.
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: Bulletti
authors: Unit of Microbiology, The Greater Romagna Hub Laboratory, AUSL della Romagna, Pievesestina, Cesena, Italy.|DIMES, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors: Vittorio
authors: V
authors: Sambri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D058491:Bacterial Load / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000382:microbiology*
keywords: ICSI; micro swim-up method; microbial contamination; semen treatment