Diagnostic value of dual-fluorescence staining in bacterial vaginosis

Abstract

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of bacterial vaginosis (BV) in Shanghai, China, and to explore the value of a dual-fluorescence staining method in the diagnosis of BV. Methods Specimens were collected from women with vaginitis at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University from January 2020 to December 2021, and the proportions of various vaginitis types (such as Candida vaginitis, Trichomonas, and bacterial vaginitis) were analyzed statistically. To explore the diagnostic value of dual-fluorescence staining for BV, we first executed a dual-fluorescence staining method to analyze the vaginal secretions of 265 patients, then confirmed our diagnoses by consulting clinical physicians and by using Nugent scoring of Gram staining. Results There were 16,905 patients who were diagnosed with vaginitis over the previous 2 years, with a median age of 32 (minimum age of 9 years and maximum of 84 years). Of these patients, we noted 10,887 cases (64.40%) of BV. Our staining results revealed that the dual-fluorescence method was consistent with Gram staining in the diagnosis of BV, with a P value of less than .001 using a χ 2 test and a consistency kappa value of 0.896. Compared with Gram staining, the dual-fluorescence staining method required an acceptable time (2.2 min vs 2.5 min, respectively) and exhibited different visual effects (green and yellow vs purple and red, respectively). Conclusion Dual-fluorescence staining for the detection of bacterial diseases of the vagina exhibited acceptable consistency with Gram staining and performed well with respect to dyeing time, stability, and the interpretation of results. We argue that this method should be used in outpatient services.