Pragmatic factors influencing the detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

The effects of the suboptimal temperature caused by delayed incubation or prolonged transport on the recovery of Neisseria gonorrhoeae were studied in 2 separate patient populations. The individual components of the John E. Martin Biological Environmental Chamber were used to define more precisely other variables that might influence the incidence of recovery. In a study of 1500 urethral and endocervical specimens processed in parallel for N gonorrhoeae, results quantitatively and qualitatively superior were achieved when an immediate source of CO2 and a zip-lock bag were used. The zip-lock bag appears to be a significant factor in the enhanced demonstration of N gonorrhoeae. Failure to incubate specimens before transportation decreased the numeric representation of N gonorrhoeae in 50 sets of triple cultures studied in parallel. Most low-inoculum cultures subjected to prolonged transportation without prior incubation will not demonstrate the presence of N gonorrhoeae. Even if preincubated before transportation, the cultures demonstrate a significant reduction in the number of colony-forming units per plate when subjected to normal room temperature during the course of transportation.