IMPACT OF VARIATION IN ENDOCERVICAL SPECIMEN COLLECTION AND TESTING TECHNIQUES ON FREQUENCY OF FALSE-POSITIVE AND FALSE-NEGATIVE CHLAMYDIA DETECTION RESULTS

Rapid tests for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis are considerably mo re likely to provide accurate, reliable results if high quality endoce rvical specimens containing large quantities of the pathogen are submi tted for testing, and if laboratories routinely detect and confirm Chl amydia at levels below the test manufacturer's recommended cut-off usi ng previously published, well-documented guidelines that have been ver ified by in-house testing. Routine or periodic microscopic analysis of endocervical specimen quality may be necessary both to ensure the ade quacy of specimens and to help motivate personnel performing the speci men collection procedures. False-positive test results can be signific antly reduced or eliminated by confirming positive results with the us e of an independent assay. Clinical laboratories currently have the op portunity to substantially improve both the sensitivity and the specif icity of many currently available rapid assays for the detection of Ch lamydia trachomatis.