Prediction of preterm birth using a modified classification of gram- stained vaginal smears | ||
| The Egyptian Journal of Fertility and Sterility | ||
| Article 6, Volume 14, Issue 1 - Serial Number 11106352, January 2011, Pages 26-28 PDF (991.22 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/egyfs.2011.254867 | ||
| Author | ||
| Alaa Mosbah | ||
| Obstetrics &Gynecology Department Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University,Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Objective: The aim of this study was to identify women at risk of spontaneous preterm birth through a 4-category Gram-stained vaginal smear method and to examine the diagnostic accuracy of this classification in relation to the occurrence of preterm delivery. Patients & Methods: This was a prospective study correlating first trimester Gram-stained vaginal smears with spontaneous preterm birth. Smears were categorized as normal, bacterial vaginosis-like, grade I-like (atypical gram-positive rods) or purulent grade I (lactobacilli-dominated smears showing heavy leukorrhea of unknown cause). Results: Abnormal Gram stain vaginal smears were associated with more than 5 fold increase in the odds of having a preterm birth when applying the modified 4 category scoring system. The presence of bacterial vaginosis (BV) like, Grade I-like and Grade I-PNL were associated with a significant increase in the odds of preterm labor (4, 7.8 and 6.1, respectively). Conclusion: Pregnant women with abnormal Gram-stained vaginal smear have a higher risk of preterm labor. Also, the modified 4-category Gram-stained vaginal smear classification is a useful tool in predicting preterm labor. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| preterm birth; bacterial vaginosis; Gram stain; vaginal smear | ||
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