THE HIGH VAGINAL SWAB IN GENERAL-PRACTICE - CLINICAL CORRELATES OF POSSIBLE PATHOGENS

Clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of 286 women whose high vag inal swabs (HVS) submitted by their general practitioners showed pure, heavy growth of Staphylococcus aureus, beta haemolytic streptococci g roups A, C or G, Streptococcus milleri, Streptococcus pneumoniae or Ha emophilus influenzae were analysed. Women with group A, C and G strept ococci frequently had clinical vulvovaginitis and although the numbers were too small for statistical confirmation, S. pneumoniae and H. inf luenzae appeared to cause clinical disease as well. The association of S. aureus or S. milleri with clinical vulvovaginitis was much less co nvincing. It seems relevant for laboratories to report sensitivities f or group A, C and C streptococci. Further research is needed to determ ine the pathogenicity of S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae.