Diagnosing non-gonococcal urethritis: the gram-stained urethral smear in perspective. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1992. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Diagnosing non-gonococcal urethritis: the gram-stained urethral smear in perspective.

Int J STD AIDS. 1991 Jul-Aug;2(4):272-5. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/92002352
Terry PM; Holland S; Olden D; O'Connell S; Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Royal South Hants Hospital,; Southampton, UK.

Abstract: The value of microscopy of a Gram-stained urethral smear in the diagnosis of non-gonococcal urethritis and chlamydial urethral infection was assessed in 153 men attending a department of genitourinary medicine. A mean of more than 4 polymorphs in 5 fields (x1000) was considered to be abnormal. In the diagnosis of urethritis, the sensitivity (94%), specificity (91%), positive predictive value (93%) and negative predictive value (93%) were high. In the diagnosis of chlamydial infection, sensitivity (91%) and negative predictive value (96%) were high, but specificity (68%) and positive predictive value (46%) were low. In men with symptoms of genitourinary infection, the sensitivity (96.7%) and negative predictive value (97.4%) of the Gram-stained urethral smear in the diagnosis of chlamydial infection was comparable with modern chlamydial antigen detection tests.
Keywords: *Chlamydia trachomatis Chlamydia Infections/*DIAGNOSIS/EPIDEMIOLOGY/MICROBIOLOGY England/EPIDEMIOLOGY Evaluation Studies Gentian Violet/*DIAGNOSTIC USE Human Leukocyte Count Male Neutrophils/CHEMISTRY Phenazines/*DIAGNOSTIC USE Sensitivity and Specificity Urethritis/*DIAGNOSIS/EPIDEMIOLOGY/MICROBIOLOGY JOURNAL ARTICLE

KWDchlamydiatrachomatischlamydiainfections/KWDdiagnosis/epidemiology/microbiologyengland/epidemiologyevaluationstudiesgentianviolet/KWDdiagnosticusehumanleukocytecountmaleneutrophils/chemistryphenazines/KWDdiagnosticusesensitivityandspecificityurethritis/KWDdiagnosis/epidemiology/microbiologyjournalarticle
920130
M9210720

Copyright © 1992 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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