Compliance with group B streptococcus testing prior to labor and delivery

We tested whether group B streptococcus (GBS) screening is performed as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and evaluated the need for a rapid GBS test for women with full-term pregnancies. A retrospective cohort analysis at a single, large academic institution was performed. Women who delivered full-term (>37 weeks) infants and had documented prenatal care were included. The primary outcome was documented screening. One hundred sixty-five full-term pregnancies were included; 158 women [95.76%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 92.68 to 98.83%] were screened prior to presentation at labor and delivery. This frequency was significantly greater than the a priori hypothesis of 90% ( P = 0.01). Of the 158 women ever screened, 15 had GBS bacteriuria and 143 had genital culture performed. However, only 118 of the 143 (80.61%; 95% CI, 74.57 to 86.64%) were cultured at the appropriate time as recommended by the CDC (between 35 and 37 weeks). This screening frequency was significantly lower than the a priori hypothesis of 90% ( P < 0.001). Most full-term women presenting to labor and delivery have been screened for GBS. However, screening performed at the appropriate gestational age per CDC recommendations was lower than expected. Rapid GBS testing does not appear to be necessary for this population.