Perinatal infection and vaginal flora

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Clinical Microbiology

Background:

• Vaginal cultures are sometimes used for screening during labor.
• The clinical utility of routine admission vaginal cultures requires evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the value of obtaining vaginal cultures from mothers upon admission to the labor floor.

Main Methods:

• Vaginal cultures were collected from 1,083 mothers at the time of labor floor admission.

Main Results:

• The bacteriologic information obtained from these cultures was deemed insufficient.
• The data did not support the continued use of this screening method.

Conclusions:

• Routine admission vaginal cultures do not provide sufficient bacteriologic information to justify their continued use as a screening procedure.