@article {Rao531, author = {G Gopal Rao and L Bacon and J Evans and Y Dejahang and R Hardwick and P Michalczyk and J Wong and A Donaldson}, title = {Can culture confirmation of gonococcal infection be improved in female subjects found to be positive by nucleic acid amplification tests in community clinics?}, volume = {85}, number = {7}, pages = {531--533}, year = {2009}, doi = {10.1136/sti.2009.036525}, publisher = {The Medical Society for the Study of Venereal Disease}, abstract = {Background: Use of nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), such as strand displacement assay (SDA, BD ProbeTec C trachomatis/N gonorrhoeae Amplified DNA Assay), for the detection of gonococcal infection in the community is controversial because of the possibility of false-positive results in low prevalence populations.Aim: To evaluate if culture confirmation of gonococcal infection can be improved for subjects found to be positive by BD ProbeTec in community clinics.Methods: Two cervical swabs were collected for culture to confirm NAAT positive results in women aged over 16 years{\textemdash}a majority of whom were \<25 years and asymptomatic. One swab was urgently transported (UTP) and processed in the laboratory within 2 hours whereas the other swab (RTP) was stored at 4{\textdegree}C, transported at room temperature and processed 4{\textendash}72 hours after collection depending on the time and day of collection.Results: Altogether, 56 subjects with NAAT positive results were recruited into the study. Nine (16.1\%) subjects who were culture negative were excluded from final analysis due to prior antibiotic treatment (4/9) or the culture having been taken more than 1 month after the NAAT was positive (4/9) or an incorrect specimen being received (1/9). Overall, 41/47 (87.2\%) NAAT positive subjects were confirmed by culture. In total, 40/47 (85.1\%) UTP swabs and 27/47 (57.4\%) RTP swabs were positive (p\<0.05).Conclusion: This study shows that culture confirmation in NAAT positive subjects in a community gonococcus screening programme can be significantly improved by urgent transportation to and processing of specimens in the laboratory.}, issn = {1368-4973}, URL = {https://sti.bmj.com/content/85/7/531}, eprint = {https://sti.bmj.com/content/85/7/531.full.pdf}, journal = {Sexually Transmitted Infections} }