Sketchy Micro: Gardneralla Vaginalis

Question 1

G. vaginalis is a Gram-____________ organism.

Answer 1

variable (meaning it can stain positive or negative)

Think of the purple and red graffiti on the warehouses behind the fish market.

Question 2

Bacterial vaginosis is said to have a __________ odor.

Answer 2

fishy (hence, this sketch is based in a fish market)

Question 3

Bacterial vaginosis usually begins with _____________.

Answer 3

overgrowth of the normal vaginal flora

Question 4

One of the hallmark symptoms of bacterial vaginosis is _____________.

Answer 4

gray-white discharge from the vagina

Think of the gray-white mucus covering the venus fly traps.

Question 5

What is distinct about the vaginal discharge associated with bacterial vaginosis?

Answer 5

It usually has a pH of 4.5 or greater.

(Think of the sign advertising fish for $4.5 and up – they always advertise the lowest price possible, so it makes sense that it’s “and up.”)

Question 6

What test is used to identify bacterial vaginosis?

Answer 6

The KOH whiff test –using KOH to hydrolyze the bacteria and smelling the odor

(Think of Koh, the hound dog, smelling the discharge.)

Question 7

The histologic sign _____________ is used to identify cells infected with Gardnerella vaginalis.

Answer 7

“clue cells” (epithelial cells covered with G. vaginalis bacteria)

(Think of the detective looking for CLUEs and the wet stains –so drawn because wet mounts are used to prepare the slides –with dots around the edges.)

Question 8

What treatments can kill G. vaginalis?

Answer 8

Metronidazole and clindamycin

(There’s a METRO adjacent to the fish market and in the clindamycin sketch there were a bunch of venus fly traps on the front desk.)