IMR Press / CEOG / Volume 48 / Issue 3 / DOI: 10.31083/j.ceog.2021.03.2485
Open Access Original Research
The performance of GeneXpert® PCR assay in detecting group B streptococcus colonization at labor
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1 Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kolding Hospital, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, 6000 Kolding, Denmark
2 Department of Clinical Microbiology, Vejle Hospital, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, 7100 Vejle, Denmark
*Correspondence: mohammed.khalil@rsyd.dk (Mohammed Rohi Khalil)
Clin. Exp. Obstet. Gynecol. 2021, 48(3), 661–664; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.ceog.2021.03.2485
Submitted: 21 January 2021 | Revised: 12 February 2021 | Accepted: 12 March 2021 | Published: 15 June 2021
Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the performance of GeneXpert® group B streptococcus (GBS) PCR assays in a Danish setting, using rectovaginal GBS culture at labor as the gold standard. Methods: Three hundred and sixty-six (366) women with one or more of the following risk factors for GBS carriage—GBS during current pregnancy, prior infant with EOGBS, temperature >38.0 C during labor, preterm labor <37 weeks of gestation, rupture of membranes 18 hours—were included in the study. Intrapartum rectovaginal swab samples were tested at the bedside by GeneXpert® GBS PCR assay, and cultured on agar plates (Granada) with and without prior use of growth-selective enrichment broth. Results: The GeneXpert® GBS PCR assay showed a sensitivity of 91.7%, a specificity of 97.2%, a PPV of 92.6 %, and a NPV of 96.8%. The turnaround time of the assay was 50 minutes. Conclusions: The GeneXpert® has a high performance, indicating that the assay can be used in a clinical setting.

Keywords
Group B streptococcus
Early-onset neonatal infection
Polymerase chain reaction
Rapid intrapartum assay
GeneXpert®
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