Potential Shortcuts in the Laboratory Diagnosis of Gonorrhea

Abstract

The staining of genital (human) smears by the full gram-stain method was compared to staining with safranin only. When the criterion for a positive genital smear is the presence of typical intracellular pink diplococci on the smear, staining with safranin only did not significantly alter the sensitivity, specificity or predictive values of cervical or urethral smears. The single stain did result in a greater number of smears containing typical pink diplococci located only outside of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Removal of cervical secretions before performance of tests for gonorrhea did not significantly alter the results of the smears.