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The Effect of Bacteriostatic Lubricant on Group B Streptococcal Cultures of the Female Genital Tract

From the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, Washington

Abstract

The purpose of this prospective investigation was to determine the effect of bacteriostatic lubricant on group B streptococcal cultures obtained from the lower genital tract of pregnant women. Fifty pregnant women with intact membranes who recently had genital tract cultures for group B streptococci were evaluated. The study group consisted of 25 women who had positive cultures, and the control group comprised 25 women who had negative cultures. All patients underwent examination with a sterile nonlubricated speculum within 7 days of the previously obtained cultures. Secretions from the endocervix and from the posterior vaginal wall near the introitus were collected with a sterile cotton-tipped applicator and inoculated directly onto a selective blood agar culture plate. The sterile speculum was removed and a digital examination performed using bacteriostatic lubricant. A second sterile speculum was then inserted into the vagina and another group B streptococcal culture was obtained. There was 100% correlation between the cultures obtained before and after the vaginal examination. We conclude that use of bacteriostatic lubricant does not alter the recovery of group B streptococci from the genital tract of pregnant women with intact membranes.