Can pregnant women obtain their own specimens for Group B Streptococcus? A comparison of maternal versus physician screening

Compared maternally obtained swabs for GBS with the current gold standard of physician-obtained swabs performed on the same patient. The women were asked who they would prefer to do their swabs in the offices of 5 family physicians and 8 obstetricians at Mount Sinai Hospital, a tertiary-care teaching hospital, between 1 November 1995 and 31 March 1996. The patients were consecutive pregnant women presenting for their 26-28 weeks antenatal visit. Patient-collected vaginal and anorectal swabs for GBS are at last as sensitive as the current practice of physician-performed swabs. (Original abstract-amended)