Improved diagnosis of gonorrhea in women

Single endocervical cultures are estimated to be 85-95% reliable in the diagnosis of gonorrhea; a properly obtained rectal culture increases this yield by 5%. In this prospective trial, the increased diagnostic yields from two first-day endocervical cultures and second-day endocervical and rectal cultures were examined. The value of cervical gram smears was also reviewed. During a six-month period, 748 women were evaluated on day 1, with 195 returning for second-day cultures. The mean increased diagnostic yields were 2.2% for the second first-day endocervical culture, 2.9% for second-day cultures, and 4.0% for rectal cultures.