Polymerase chain reaction test has high sensitivity and specificity for vaginal swab samples
THURSDAY, Dec. 6, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A point-of-care (POC) polymerase chain reaction test (Atlas io) has high sensitivity and specificity for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), according to a study published in the November issue of Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
Lea E. Widdice, M.D., from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and colleagues recruited women age 14 years or older undergoing CT screening/testing. Self-obtained vaginal swabs were provided for testing with the Atlas io and Aptima Combo 2; questionnaires were completed to assess attitudes toward POC testing.
Results were available for 284 women who had been tested with Aptima Combo 2 and Atlas io; 273 of these women completed the questionnaire. The researchers found sensitivity and specificity for the Atlas io test were 83.9 and 98.8 percent, respectively. Adjudicated sensitivity and specificity were 92.9 and 98.8 percent, respectively, when specimens with discrepant results were included. If a POC test were available, 70 percent of women preferred to collect vaginal self-swab. If they could be treated before leaving the clinic, 61 and 26 percent of women were willing to wait up to 20 and up to 40 minutes, respectively, for results.
“The performance of the Atlas io test suggests that it is adequate for adoption as a CT diagnostic test in clinical settings,” the authors write. “The potential of this diagnostic test to impact patient outcomes warrants further study.”
One author participated in a clinical trial of an Atlas Genetics test cartridge for the detection of chlamydia and gonorrhea.
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