DIFF-QUIK STAIN AS A SIMPLIFIED ALTERNATIVE TO PAPANICOLAOU STAIN FORDETERMINATION OF QUALITY OF ENDOCERVICAL SPECIMENS SUBMITTED FOR PCR DETECTION OF CHLAMYDIA-TRACHOMATIS

The simple, rapid, two-step Diff-Quik stain procedure (Baxter Diagnost ics) was compared with the Papanicolaou stain for microscopic determin ation of endocervical specimen quality. Results from 230 (98.7%) of 23 3 specimens stained by both methods indicated agreement between the tw o staining methods for detection of the endocervical cells or erythroc ytes indicating specimen adequacy. By using the Amplicor Chlamydia tra chomatis Test (Roche Diagnostic Systems) to detect C. trachomatis and the Diff-Quik stain to assess specimen adequacy, PCR-positive results were obtained from 147 (9.1%) of 1,615 microscopically adequate specim ens but from only 13 (2.2%) of the 583 inadequate specimens (P < 0.001 ).