STDs/HVSs Flashcards
What sample types do you usually see for STD screens
Charcoal transwabs are most common -> necessary for N. Gonorrhea
Gene Xpert swabs or first void urine are required for Chlamydia trachromatis investigation
IUDs might be sent down as part of a PID investigation
How does the charcoal transwabs work
They contain inorganic buffer which ensures the maintenance of bacteria without their overgrowth
This allows for the excellent recovery of both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria
Charcoal is necessary for the recovery of aerobes, anaerobes and fastidious organisms e.g. N. Gonorrhea
What plates do STD screens get?
NYC agar for gonorrhea
PDA for query thrush
Blood agar -> Gonorrhae will take days to grow
PCR for Chlamydia
How is MNYC agar incubated
5-10% CO2
What plates do HVSs get
Blood agar
PDA
NEO/FAA if necessary
-> if post operative or post partum a NEO is put up + Met disc
-> a FAA is put up if query anaerobes
What plates are put up for PID investigation
Blood
NYC (if query STD caused PID)
FAA
MacConkey
Extended blood agar
PDA if query thrush
What plates are put up if given an IUD?
Same plates as PID screen
Blood, FAA, MacConkey, Extended blood, NYC (? STD)
What samples get a gram stain?
All of our swabs get a gram stain other than rectal or pharyngeal swabs -> these tend to be too dirty
=> HVSs, STDs, PIDs all get grams
Talk about the use of extended blood agar
○ PID investigation, IUD infection
Extended incubation time to enhance growth of more fastidious organisms
Talk about Blood agar
○ Agar used for the cultivation of most pathogenic organism
○ Contains 5% defibrinated horse blood which is added to autoclaved basal/nutrient media
○ The blood enriches the media to support the growth of fastidious bacteria while inhibiting certain bacteria such as Haemophilus (require blood agar)
Useful for organisms which demonstrate haemolysis such as Strep species
How do you make a gram from the swabs?
Smush the tip of the swab onto the glass slides directly
Talk about MacConkey agar
○ Used in PID/IUD investigation mostly for GNBs such as the Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas
○ A selective and differential medium, selective for gram negative bacteria and enteric/GIT bacteria, differential based on lactose fermentation
○ Made selective by bile salts and crystal violet which inhibit gram positives
○ Neutral red is the pH indicator
▪ Lactose fermenters cause a change in pH which turns the medium pink such as E. Coli
▪ Non lactose fermenter GNBs such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa grow a yellow colour
Sodium chloride maintains the osmotic balance of the medium
Talk about Potato Dextrose agar
○ Potato dextrose agar is a versatile growing medium for bacteria and fungi (yeasts and molds).
Often uses for candida species e.g. C. albicans in thrush
Talk about FAA
○ Anaerobes such as actinomyces during PID or IUD infection
○ Fastidious anaerobe agar capable of supporting most clinically significant fastidious anaerobes
○ Contains a wide range of additional substrates such as Pyruvate, Vitamin K, Cysteine, arginine etc
Grows organisms such as Bacteroides and Fusobacterium
Talk about NEO agar
○ + Met disc for post operative or post partum HVSs
○ Anerobic neo blood agar is used to grow anaerobic GNBS while preventing the growth of other organisms such as E. Coli, and aerobic bacteria such as staph etc
○ Neomycin can also be used aerobically for the isolation of Group A strep such as S. pyogenes and Group B strep such as S. agalactiae (S, aureus is susceptible to neomycin)
Basically neomycin blood agar works by suppressing the most common commensals such as S. aureus and E. Coli, by adding a metronidazol disc and incubating anaerobically you are ensuring only the growth of anaerobic bacteria
Talk about MNYC agar
○ A selective media for the isolation of N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis
○ GC agar base supplemented with lysed or chocolatised horse blood with the addition of Oxoid Vitox
○ Made selective through the use of an antibiotic cocktail containing vancomycin, colistin, trimethroprim and yeast autolysate
▪ Vancomycin inhibits gram-positive bacteria
▪ Colistin inhibits gram negative bacteria including Pseudomonas species
▪ Trimethoprim inhibit Proteus
▪ Trimethoprin + colistin act synergistically to inhibit GNBs
▪ Yeast autolysate fulfils the CO2 requirement needed to enhance Neisseria growth which enhances both the size and number of colonies
○ The horse plasma, haemoglobin and proteose peptone provide nutrients for the growth of N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis
○ Phosphate buffers the medium
○ Starch neutralises Neisseria toxin
What are the common organisms found in HVSs?
Beta Haemolytic Strep (S. pyogenes and S. agalactiae)
Fungi
S. aureus
Listeria
GNBs
Proteus
Talk about Beta Haemolytic Streps in HVS
▪ Such as S. pyogenes (Group A Strep) and S. agalactiae (Group B Strep)
○ S.pyogenes
® Group A Streps such as S. pyogenes can cause toxic shock syndrome
○ S.agalactiae
® Can only release a positive S. agalactiae after the sens has been done, if penicillin susceptible you can release early but if resistant you will have to wait for the full sens to be done
® Group B BHS like S. agalactiae cause infections during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy
* Usually screen for BHS during 3rd trimester so as to not pass infection on to baby through birth cannal -> treated with antibiotics
▪ Always check blood agar against the light for any signs of Beta haemolysis
All BHSs will go for sens
Why is listeria so important in HVSs
Can cause stillbirths if patient is pregnant