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Updated: Jun 17, 2026
A Murine Model of Group B Streptococcus Vaginal Colonization
Published on: November 16, 2016
The effect of a chlorhexidine-based surgical lubricant during pelvic examination on the detection of group B
Ora I Schwope1, Katherine T Chen, Isha Mehta
1Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Objective:
The objective of the study was to estimate whether surgical lubricant used during pelvic examination alters the detection of group B Streptococcus (GBS).
Study Design:
We conducted a prospective cohort study of patients undergoing GBS screening at the prenatal clinics of a New York City public hospital. Two specimens were collected from each patient, before and after a pelvic examination with Surgilube (Fougera and Co, Melville, NY), a bacteriostatic surgical lubricant. Test performance indices using GBS status pre-pelvic examination as the reference were calculated.
Results:
Over 10 months, 168 patients were enrolled in the study. Twenty of 168 patients (11.9%; 95% confidence interval, 7.4-17.8%) tested GBS positive before the pelvic examination. Of the initial 20 GBS-positive patients, 10 tested GBS positive after the pelvic examination with surgical lubricant. The sensitivity of detecting GBS after the examination with surgical lubricant was 50%.
Conclusion:
Because pelvic examination with surgical lubricant may decrease the detection of GBS, obstetric practitioners should collect GBS screening cultures before the use of surgical lubricant.
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