Anaerobic and aerobic microflora of pouch of Douglas aspirate v/s high vaginal swab in cases of pelvic inflammatory disease
Chaudhry, R.; Thakur, R.; Talwar, V.; Aggarwal, N.
Indian Journal of Pathology and Microbiology 39(2): 115-120
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0377-4929 PMID: 9401239 Document Number: 309416
Anaerobic and aerobic bacteria were isolated from the vagina and pouch of Douglas (POD) in 43 women who presented with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) to the University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital in Shahdara, Delhi, India. In addition, high vaginal swabs were taken from 20 healthy controls. In the PID group, a positive culture was achieved in 42 of 43 cases. Anaerobic and aerobic bacteria were isolated from 37 (86%) high vaginal swab and 31 (72%) POD specimens. Of the 26 PID cases in which both vaginal swab and POD specimens were positive, 18 (72%) had different microflora at the two sites. In 5 additional cases, high vaginal swabs were negative for organisms detected by POD aspiration. A total of 100 aerobic and 10 anaerobic bacterial strains were recovered from both the sites. Coagulase negative staphylococci, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus faecalis predominated. Polymicrobial flora were detected in 27 specimens from women with PID, but only 5 of these contained a mix of anaerobes and aerobes. Among controls, a total of 10 aerobic and 3 anaerobic strains were recovered from 10 specimens. These findings confirm that POD aspiration provides a more accurate picture of the microbial population of the fallopian tubes than high vaginal swab and has a definite role in the management of PID patients.