Analysis for the detection of gonorrhea in women. Tests for gonorrhea (clapper)

23.01.2022

Gonorrhea is an insidious disease. If we are talking about the female part of the population, then they may not manifest it at all, proceeding chronically and almost asymptomatically. At the same time, the risk of infecting a partner is extremely high, because such a situation is very common when a woman herself does not even suspect that she has gonorrhea. That is why it is so important to identify this disease in time and correctly. There are several ways to diagnose gonorrhea, each of which we will consider in detail. However, we will not dwell on clinical methods, because. The article is devoted specifically to the laboratory diagnosis of gonococcal infection.

microscopic examination

The very first thing that needs to be prepared in order for this diagnostic method to succeed is the material in which the presence of the pathogen must be determined. With severe symptoms and a large amount of discharge in men, a smear is taken for gonorrhea from the mucous membrane of the urethra and rectum. In women, the material is taken with the help of an imprint from the outlet of the urethra, rectum - it is enough just to lean a glass slide against them so that the secretions from these organs fall on it - of course, if we are talking about clinically pronounced gonorrhea.

However, in order to more accurately identify gonorrhea, standardized sampling methods are used. As for men, the discharge from the urethra is taken from them using a special swab moistened with physiological saline. If there is little discharge, the urethra is massaged from top to bottom.

In women, a swab for gonorrhea - discharge from the urethra - is taken using a special tool - Volkmann's spoon - or a small swab. Material from the cervical canal can be taken with vaginal forceps and a special loop.

After taking the material for analysis for gonorrhea, the process of its preparation, processing and coloring begins. With the help of a special dye - methylene blue (or even ordinary brilliant green), the material fixed to the glass is stained blue or green - bacterial cells absorb the dye and become visible under a microscope. Another method of staining is also used - according to Gram. Diplococci - the causative agents of gonorrhea - turn pink, while the rest of the cocci turn blue. Gram stain is perhaps one of the most reliable ways to diagnose gonorrhea.

Bacteriological (cultural) research

Bacteriological analysis for gonorrhea is carried out less frequently - only in cases where microscopy fails to accurately identify the pathogen, as well as in other controversial situations. The secretions obtained from the patient are then sown on a medium with nutrients (this is usually ascites agar - a medium consisting of natural ascitic fluid taken from patients with liver diseases, and agar - a natural polysaccharide). After five to seven days at a constant temperature, check whether there is growth of colonies, and if so, the colonies are identified macroscopically, indicative testing is carried out, and finally, the obtained pure culture is microscopically obtained.

Serological methods for diagnosing gonorrhea

Serological methods for diagnosing gonorrhea involve the direct detection of antigens in the patient's blood (the antigens of the pathogen are proteins of its shell and polysaccharide molecules - particles of flagella, pili, as well as enzymes and waste products). For the diagnosis of gonorrhea, RSK is widely used - the complement fixation reaction, which in this case has its own name - the Bordet-Jargoux reaction.

Diagnosis of gonorrhea is carried out using this method as follows: the patient's blood serum is heated for half an hour at 56 degrees - due to this, complement proteins in it are destroyed. Then, pre-prepared gonococcal antigens (the smallest particles of microbes grown in the laboratory) are added to the serum. If there are antibodies to gonococci in the patient's serum, they are adsorbed on the surface of the antigen. Smaller antibodies, as it were, stick around large pieces of bacterial proteins.

The next stage of the reaction is the addition of artificial complement (blood serum obtained from laboratory animals) to the mixture. We take into account that the complement is activated only if the solution contains both antibodies and antigens, and the more of them, the more fully it reacts. At the last stage, a suspension of ram erythrocytes is added to the analyzer, which were in direct contact with hemolytic serum for half an hour. The more unused complement will be in the mixture, the more intense hemolysis is, and vice versa, the more complete the complement is used up, the slower the rate of hemolysis.

Immunofluorescence

The essence of this method is not too complicated - first, a preparation is made from the material taken from the patient for examination under a microscope - in other words, the secretions are applied to a glass slide and heated over the flame of an alcohol lamp. The second stage of drug processing is staining them with methylene blue and, importantly, with a special composition that has the property of fluorescing (emitting light). Then the glass slide is placed on the microscope stage and examined by directing light on it - microorganisms are clearly visible in the form of luminous spherical formations.

Linked immunosorbent assay

The essence of ELISA for gonorrhea (and not only) is as follows. The patient's material is taken (most often blood) and placed in special containers, where it settles for some time and reacts with antibodies deposited on the walls of the containers. Then the material is poured out, the containers are thoroughly rinsed - in this way all “extra” antigens that have not contacted with antibodies on the walls are removed. And, finally, the most important stage of the study is the addition of an enzymatic preparation that has the ability to change its color depending on the amount of unbound antibodies. Everything, by the method of solution colorimetry, it is possible to calculate the concentration of antibodies and the corresponding concentration of antigens.

Standardized kits, such as Gonozyme, are used to detect gonorrhea. The sensitivity of the ELISA method for gonorrhea is high - about 95%, which makes it easy to gonorrhea in both men and women, and you can examine both blood and urine and discharge from the genitals.

polymerase chain reaction

For research by PCR (polymerase chain reaction - ultrasensitive analysis for gonorrhea), material from the urethra and cervical canal is used. The sensitivity of the method in detecting gonococci in men is about 98%, in women - 89%.

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection of the urinary tract.

The causative agent of gonorrhea is gonococcus, a bacterium from the genus Neisseria. This group also includes meningococcus, the causative agent of meningitis.

Gonococcus does not survive well in the environment outside the human body. The temperature range in which it can exist: 18-56 degrees. The sun's rays, drying act on the bacterium is detrimental.

Gonococcal infection affects the mucous membranes. It can develop in the urogenital tract, rectum, palatine tonsils, nasopharynx, conjunctiva of the eye.

Gonorrhea is transmitted primarily through sexual contact. It is also possible to infect a child in childbirth from a sick mother. Occasionally, girls have cases of household transmission of the disease through toilet items.

The incubation period is usually 2 to 14 days.

Symptoms of the disease in men

The main symptom of acute gonorrhea in men is purulent discharge from the urethra (urethra). The discharge is accompanied by burning and pain when urinating. Sick men note adhesion of the external opening of the urethra in the morning.

Sometimes a drop of blood appears at the very end of urination (when the infection spreads to the posterior urethra and bladder). If the inflammation passes to the epididymis, there is pain in the scrotum and swelling.

In chronic sluggish gonorrhea, men may have almost no complaints. Discharge from the urethra in the chronic form is meager (single drop). Disorders of sexual function (erection dysfunction, premature ejaculation) gradually appear.

Symptomatic manifestations in women

The main manifestations of the acute form of the disease in women include vaginal discharge, pain during intercourse, painful urination, pain of varying intensity in the lower abdomen.

Gonococcal infection in women, in addition to the urinary tract, almost always captures the cervix.

The disease in women often occurs in an erased form. About 50% of patients do not present active complaints.

What tests should be done when screening for gonorrhea?

Diagnosis of this infection is based on laboratory tests. This is mainly due to the fact that the clinical picture of gonococcal infection is nonspecific. Pain and discharge from the urinary tract in both men and women can be with a large number of various diseases.

The key methods of laboratory diagnosis of gonorrhea, i.e. direct tests for gonorrhea are microbiological studies.

Microbiological methods

Microbiological methods are aimed at identifying and determining the type of infectious agent. There are bacterioscopic and cultural methods.

Bacterioscopy is the study of a specially stained smear under a microscope for the presence of bacteria. For bacterioscopy, a scraping swab is taken from the urethra or other organ affected by inflammation.
Bacterioscopic examination is widely used throughout the world. Its advantages are speed, low cost and high reliability. If gonococcus is detected during bacterioscopy, further diagnostic measures are usually not needed.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to identify gonococci in a smear. The absence of gonococci in the studied smear does not allow to exclude the diagnosis of gonorrhea.

The second method used to detect gonococci is culture. Its meaning is that the biological material collected in the focus of the disease (discharge from the urethra or vagina) is placed on special media for growing bacterial colonies. By the appearance of the formed colonies (cultures), one can say exactly which microorganisms created them.

The cultural method is accurate, relatively cheap, but it takes time to grow a gonococcus culture (up to 7 days) and special laboratory conditions. Another advantage of the method is the ability to determine the sensitivity of gonococcus to various antibiotics.

In some cases, microbiological studies do not sufficiently clarify the situation. Then you have to resort to molecular genetic methods for determining the causative agent of gonococcal infection. These include PCR and LCR.

The role of PCR and LCR in the laboratory diagnosis of gonorrhea

PCR is a polymerase chain reaction. LCR is short for ligase chain reaction. Both methods are aimed at identifying the genetic material of gonococci in secretions from the urethra or other biological media.

PCR and LCR are highly sensitive and fast. The problem is the high cost of research. LCR is also difficult to obtain due to the fact that it is done in a small number of laboratories. PCR is more widely used.

Bordet-Gangu reaction - blood test

The Borde-Jangu reaction refers to serological research methods. The word "serological" comes from the word "serum" - serum.

For analysis, the patient's blood serum is taken. The study determines the presence in the human bloodstream of antibodies to the causative agent of gonorrhea.

The method has a number of disadvantages, it is used to a limited extent, mainly in chronic gonococcal infections.

What is gonorrhea provocation and how is it performed?

Provocation in gonorrhea is carried out with latent inflammation, when there is a suspicion of a gonococcal infection, but the gonococcus was not isolated during a routine examination. A provocation is an action aimed at the exit of gonococci from the walls of the genitourinary tract into the lumen of organs, where the pathogen can be detected bacterioscopically or culturally.

It is possible to provoke the "exit" of gonococci by chemical, thermal, biological means. So, when using the chemical method, the mucous membrane of the urethra is lubricated with silver nitrate. A day after the provocation, as well as on the second and third days, a smear is taken from the urethra for examination for the presence of the infectious agent.

It must be said that the provocation of gonorrhea is considered a method with unproven diagnostic efficiency and is not used in the United States and Western Europe. In the Russian National Guide to Dermatovenereology, this diagnostic method is also skeptical.

Other tests

With gonorrhea, you need to pass general clinical tests of urine and blood. They will not reveal the pathogen, but will show the severity of the inflammatory reaction.

So, in the general analysis of blood in acute gonococcal infection, the ESR is usually increased and the number of leukocytes is increased. Urinalysis shows an increase in the number of leukocytes, protein levels, and some other inflammatory changes.

To determine the level of damage to the urinary tract, a two-glass test is performed. If the infectious process covers only the anterior urethra, the first urine sample will be cloudy and the second transparent. If the gonococcal inflammation has spread to the posterior urethra and bladder, both urine samples will be cloudy.

How to identify gonococcal infection at home

There are rapid tests for self-diagnosis of gonorrhea. They look like a pregnancy test strip. These tests can serve as a guide, but a visit to the doctor is necessary to establish an accurate diagnosis.

30.10.2018

There are many sexually transmitted diseases. Among them is gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted infectious disease that is popularly clap name.

The causative agent of the disease is gonococcus, from the groupGram-negativecocci. Although the treatment of this pathology is not difficult, in its absence, the disease can cause serious complications.

Infection can occur both through sexual contact with the patient, and through household contact (when using personal belongings, toilet items). The incubation period can last 3-7 days, sometimes 10 days. The first signs of an acute formdiseases are: mucopurulent discharge, burning in the urethra, frequent urge to urinate and pain at the same time. Symptoms of infection with gonorrhea feel 9 out of 10 men. In women, the symptoms are blurred, so only 50% of women feel the symptoms of infection.

There is also a chronic course of this disease. Sometimes there are no symptoms. In the case of a severe course of the disease, the temperature may rise, nausea and vomiting may occur. The infection can affect the appendages and uterus of a woman, the cycle of menstruation is disturbed.

In men: morning sticking of the urethral opening, pain when urinating, sometimes a drop of blood at the end. Depending on the spread of inflammation - swelling and pain in the scrotum.

gonorrhea symptoms

In the acute course of gonorrhea in women, symptoms appear:

vaginal discharge (mucopurulent);
pain and burning during urination;
pain in the lower abdomen of varying intensity;
pain during intercourse.

Gonorrhea spreads in women to the urinary tract and affects the cervix.

And it is typical for men to ignore the primary symptoms of gonorrhea. Discharge from the opening of the urethra is scarce, does not cause much concern. However, then intense symptoms appear:

burning and pain when urinating;
bloody discharge at the end of urination;
adhesion of the urethra in the morning;
premature ejaculation;
pain in the scrotum, swelling.
erectile dysfunction.

The risk of infection is 50% with classic sexual contact, even higher with anal-genital. During childbirth from an infected mother, a baby can become infected.

If gonorrhea is not treated, the infection captures all the new organs of the reproductive system, spreading through the mucosa. It can spread along the genitourinary tract, affect the rectum, nasopharynx, conjunctiva of the eyes. In men, if the testes are affected, orchitis (inflammation of the ovary) or epididymitis (ovarian appendages) is possible.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of the disease is specific.Based on the history, blood test and complaints of the patient, it is not possible to accurately determine the cause of the infection.

To identify the pathogen, various methods are used: a blood test is done, sowing of a scraping of the mucosa on a special nutrient medium, PRC (polymerase chain reaction), ELISA (linked immunosorbent assay).

How to get tested for gonorrhea

The main method is the study of a smear (scraping from the mucosa). For an accurate diagnosis of gonorrhea, tests must be taken correctly.

Taking a smear in women.A smear is taken at the entrance of the vagina, from its walls, the cervix with a special instrument using a mirror. You should take the analysis on the 2-3rd day of the menstrual cycle. It is impossible to use detergents for intimate hygiene on the day of the study. A swab for gonorrhea is sometimes taken from the rectum.

Pap smear for gonorrheain men, a slightly painful procedure. The loop (tampon) necessary for this is inserted into the urethra by a doctor for a few centimeters. Before taking a smear, you can’t urinate for 2 hours, you can’t wash, take antibacterial drugs, have sexual contact.

In children (if infection with gonorrhea is suspected), the biomaterial is taken from eye secretions for analysis.

The smear is applied in a very thin layer on a glass slide, dried. Then stain with aniline dyes: apply a solution of eosin, then methylene blue to stain the gonococci. After washing off the dyes with water, a smear is examined under a microscope.

A smear can also be studied using the Gram method. Gonococci are discolored with alcohol and viewed under a microscope against a pink background, where they are easier to see.

Serological methods for diagnosing RSC are also used. (complement binding reaction). If the infection is mixed,identify gonococci using an immunofluorescence reaction.

Diagnostic methods

The symptoms of gonorrhea are similar to those of other sexually transmitted diseases, so laboratory tests are performed to clarify the diagnosis:

Bacterioscopy. A smear stained in a special way is examined under a microscope to detect gonococcus. The method is available, fast and inexpensive. Used by physicians around the world. However, this study did not detect gonococci, which does not give reason to believe that they are not.
cultural method. How much is being done. The biomaterial (smear) is grown in laboratory conditions in a special nutrient medium. Detects the pathogen in 95% of cases. The method is very informative and cheap, but it takes time to implement.

At the same time, the sensitivity of gonococcus to different groups of antibiotics is checked at the same time. This makes it possible to choose the most effective remedy for the treatment of gonorrhea. VIt is possible to count the number of gonococci per unit volume of the biomaterial, which is also an important indicator of the analysis.

It takes time (up to 7 days) for the growth of colonies of microorganisms in a nutrient medium. It is used as a nutrient medium chocolate-blood, meat-lepton agar. The duration is a disadvantage of this method.

PCR (polymerase chain reaction) (molecular genetic) is carried out if microbiological methods have not provided insufficient information about the causative agent of the disease.
LCR (ligase chain reaction).

The 3rd and 4th molecular genetic research methods are reliable and fast. The methods are expensive and not every laboratory can carry them out.

If the inflammation is latent and there is a suspicion that it is caused by a gonococcal infection, and tests for gonorrhea did not reveal gonococci, use:

Method of provocation of gonorrhea. With the help of chemical, thermal or biological effects on the mucous membrane of the urethra, they provoke the release of gonococci into the lumen of the organs. For example, the mucosa of the canal wall is lubricated with silver nitrate. After a provocation, a brain is taken for research on 1-2-3 days. This method is not used in all countries and many doctors do not approve of it.

The results of the analysis are deciphered and recorded in a special form. The result can be positive or negative. Opposite the detected microorganisms put a + sign. A record is made of Neisser's gonococci or Gram-negative diplococci. According to the results obtained, the doctor diagnoses gonorrhea.

To obtain the degree of infection, determine the level of the inflammatory process, blood and urine tests are also carried out. In the acute form of the disease, a blood test for gonorrhea will show an increased level of ESR, an increased number of leukocytes. In the urine, an excess of the protein level, the number of leukocytes, and other changes indicating the degree of the inflammatory process are found. Another analysis for gonorrhea will show how much the infection has affected the excretory tract.

This is determined by the two-glass test method:

if only the first urine sample is cloudy, then the anterior urethra is affected;
if both urine samples turned out to be cloudy, then the gonococcal infection has spread to the posterior urethra, and the bladder may also be affected.

There are special test strips for self-testing for gonorrhea. If an express test is done at home and it seems to you that it is false positive, you should consult a doctor for an accurate diagnosis and selection of the necessary treatment. Do not try to treat the disease yourself, using dubious advice and means.

Gonorrhea, often referred to colloquially as triper, is treated by a venereologist. Antibiotics and other drugs are used for treatment, depending on the individual indications of the patient. If the treatment is carried out correctly and in a timely manner, there is a complete recovery. But re-infection is possible, and the body does not develop immunity to a sexually transmitted disease.

If gonorrhea is not treated, then the infection progresses, quickly moving up the urinary tract, threatening serious complications. The defeat of such important organs can deprive the patient of childbearing function and even threaten his life.

After etiotropic therapy, the venereologist prescribes a control examination. Analyzes should confirm that the infection is defeated and treatment can be stopped.

Gonorrhea, or gonorrhea, is considered one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. Against the background of active antibiotic therapy, the frequency of complications has recently decreased significantly. But at the same time, improper treatment of the disease, lack of examination before therapy leads to a large number of atypical and asymptomatic forms, so laboratory diagnosis of gonorrhea is very important.

Laboratory diagnosis of gonorrhea uses the following methods by which pathology can be determined.

express test (they detect the pathogen by the method of counter electrophoresis);
bacterial (bakposev is carried out by growing a culture of the pathogen);
microscopic analysis of the microbes contained in the smear;
immune fluorescence reaction;
linked immunosorbent assay;
calculus binding reaction;
polymerase chain reaction;
provocation in gonorrhea is used to identify a chronic variant of the course.

Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Is it advisable to do a rapid test

This diagnostic examination is very simple and can be done at home. Outwardly, such an analysis for gonorrhea is similar to a pregnancy test. In the same way, the decoding of the analysis for gonorrhea occurs: if there is one strip, then this indicates a negative result - the absence of gonococcus. The presence of two strips indicates that the test for gonorrhea is positive.

Is it advisable to do such an analysis for gonorrhea in women? Their reliability is quite high, and they should not be neglected. Diagnosis is simple: in the presence of an antigen-antibody complex, the second strip is stained.

It is not worth relying completely on the results of such testing. The fact is that a similar complex of antigen and antibody can also be formed in the presence of other types of microorganisms, and the decoding of such a test will be incorrect. There are cases when the resulting antigen-antibody complex is not enough to stain the strip. Therefore, patients need to take other types of tests.

What is smear microscopy

In order to take a smear, it is necessary to collect secreted from the urethra, vagina, cervix and rectum. This diagnosis will be reliable if the patient adheres to the following recommendations:

approximately 4-5 days before the analysis, stop taking antibacterial drugs;
for at least three hours before taking a smear, refrain from urinating.

The optimal time for taking a smear for women is the initial days of the menstrual cycle.

The smear is taken twice. The first is stained with methylene blue (or a brilliant green solution - it gives a more intense color). The other smear is stained using the Gram method. Deciphering the analysis after the Gram stain gives more accurate data, because this way it will be possible to determine the infection with gonococci.

The disadvantage of this technique is that its sensitivity varies greatly. The reliability of determining the disease with gonorrhea using Gram stain reaches 92 percent.

Features of the bacterial method

Tank culture for gonorrhea is currently the gold standard in the detection of infectious pathologies, including gonorrhea. The essence of the analysis on the flora is that the discharge from the genitourinary organs is placed in a nutrient medium. There are favorable conditions for the formation of a colony of microorganisms. With the help of a survey on the flora, you can reliably detect the presence of gonococcus. These are the conditions:

increased concentration of carbon dioxide;
high temperature - 37 degrees;
nutrient content.

If a smear on the flora showed that the number of bacteria has increased significantly, this indicates that there is an infection in the body. The advantage of the flora analysis is that it gives almost a hundred percent correct result. False-positive test results can be very pronounced.

Today, bacteriological examination for flora is the most common among many diagnostic centers.

Advantages and disadvantages of RIF

The enzyme immunoassay method is not widely used today. During the course of the diagnosis, the presence or absence of antibodies is detected. Such an analysis can also detect dead pathogens of gonorrhea. This is the disadvantage of this method of diagnosing gonorrhea - it shows a positive result if the immune system has overcome the causative agents of this disease.

The advantages of RIF are that it detects a very high sensitivity and almost complete specificity. Despite the advantages, RIF is currently used by a limited number of clinics and diagnostic centers.

Significance of PCR in the detection of gonorrhea

PCR for gonorrhea is an accurate and highly informative way to diagnose this sexually transmitted disease. When diagnosing, the DNA of the gonococcus is determined. Just like a smear on the flora, it is very informative. If a patient is suspected of having gonorrhea, DNA will be detected within a few days.

The method is associated with some inconveniences. First of all, the high cost of such an examination should be mentioned. Research is also difficult to access for residents of small towns.

Blood test

A blood test for gonorrhea is more likely to rule out the disease. Gonococcus forms antigens of different classes in the blood. Their presence in the serum is detected a week after infection. The peak value of antigens is observed in the second week from the onset of pathology. Then the titer gradually decreases.

Blood for gonorrhea should be donated in cases where acute symptoms of pathology are observed: pain and pain during urination and an increase in overall body temperature. The presence of sepsis is also an unconditional indication for such a diagnosis.

But with chronic gonorrhea, there is no need to conduct a blood test. It still won't show anything. It is possible to determine the presence of such a pathogen by a blood test if the doctor uses the ELISA method.

Features of analyzes in men

An analysis for gonorrhea in men is performed using a urological smear. The indications for such an examination are as follows:

the presence of secretions;
sharp pain during and after urination;
the appearance of swelling of the genitals;
the presence of rashes on the skin and mucous membranes;
frequent urge to urinate, especially when the amount of urine excreted is small;
inflammation of the prostate, seminal vesicles;
partner has an infection.

More accurate is the definition of the pathogen using the polymerase chain reaction. In this case, the infection can be accurately determined in the asymptomatic variant of the pathology.

Before taking a smear, a man should refrain from intimate contact for one or two days. In the evening you have to take a shower. In the morning, you should refrain from going to the toilet for several hours. Before taking a smear, it is necessary to toilet the genitals: remove plaque from the head of the penis.

To take a smear, a urological instrument is inserted into the urethra to a depth of several centimeters. In this case, you can take a sufficient amount of biological material for its study.

Analysis during pregnancy

Gonorrhea during pregnancy is a serious but treatable infection. Its danger is as follows:

there is a high probability of miscarriage;
there is a risk of premature birth;
during pregnancy, infection of the amniotic fluid is possible;
possible intrauterine infection of the child.

If gonorrhea is not treated during pregnancy, then the female body becomes extremely vulnerable to other infectious pathologies.

The doctor decides how to determine a dangerous disease based on the patient's complaints and anamnesis analysis. Examination for gonococcal infection during pregnancy is prescribed for all women who first applied to the antenatal clinic. The ideal option is to pass the necessary tests even before planning a child. For analysis, the doctor takes a smear from the urethra and cervix. During pregnancy, this procedure is safe for the woman and the fetus. In some cases, a urine test is performed instead of a smear.

If the results of the diagnosis are positive, then the woman will certainly be prescribed treatment. Please note that the choice of drugs for the treatment of gonococcal infection is limited. But with a timely visit to the doctor and the implementation of all his recommendations, a complete recovery is possible.

You should not be afraid of tests for a dangerous sexually transmitted disease, which is gonorrhea. Timely access to a doctor and the start of treatment can prevent the development of dangerous complications. Timely and complete analysis during pregnancy is especially important. You should not be afraid of disclosing the analyzes, because they are strictly confidential.

Among the many infectious diseases known today, those that are sexually transmitted are of great importance. This group includes syphilis, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, gonorrhea. The latter is of great importance. Analysis for gonorrhea is the main method for diagnosing this disease. Gonorrhea is not difficult to cure, but it is dangerous for its complications. These include damage to the skin by the type of eczema, inflammation of the bladder, damage to the musculoskeletal system. In some cases, gonorrhea causes infertility.

This disease is of great social importance. This is due to the fact that the pathogen is easily transmitted sexually from a sick person to a healthy one. In this case, people of any gender and age can get sick. Often, gonorrhea is diagnosed in young people. Every year, tens and hundreds of thousands of people suffer from this disease all over the world. Let us consider in more detail what is the technique for conducting a study on gonorrhea, whether a blood test is useful.

Gonorrhea is an infectious pathology that affects the genitourinary organs, the causative agent of which is gonococcus. Gonococcus is a Gram-negative coccus. In the common people, another name is used - gonorrhea. Gonococci can cause various diseases. These include:

urethritis;
inflammation of the rectum;
throat inflammation;
salpingitis;
arthritis;
conjunctivitis.

Gonorrhea is classified as a sexually transmitted disease. The pathogen can be transmitted not only through sexual contact, but also personal items of a sick person. The incubation period from the moment of infection is from 3 to 7 days. Gonorrhea can occur in acute and chronic form. In the first case, patients complain of a burning sensation in the urethra, pain during urination, frequent urination. With gonorrhea, there is a discharge of a mucopurulent nature.

Often there is a burning sensation in the urethra. An interesting fact is that many patients have no specific symptoms of the disease, and it goes unnoticed. This is especially true for women. In severe pathology, the temperature may rise, nausea or vomiting is observed. In women, the uterus or its appendages may be affected, which contributes to the disruption of the menstrual cycle. As for men, in a complicated course, the testes may be involved in the process, and orchitis or epididymitis occurs.

Diagnosis of gonorrhea

In the presence of gonorrhea in men or women, a specific diagnosis is required. A blood test does not provide accurate information about the pathogen. The doctor cannot make a diagnosis based only on the history of the disease and the patient's complaints. The main purpose of laboratory research is to identify the pathogen. For this purpose, various methods are used: the study of smears, the inoculation of biological material on a nutrient medium, ELISA and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A blood test is also carried out. The most common and effective way to diagnose is to take a smear for follow-up examination.

In men, a smear is taken from the urethra, and in women - from the vestibule or walls of the vagina, the cervical canal. It must be remembered that a smear for gonorrhea can be taken from the rectum, and if gonorrhea is suspected in children, the material is taken from the separated eyes. In women, a special tool is used to take the material. The optimal time for sampling is at the beginning of the menstrual cycle (on the second or third day). A gynecologist or venereologist uses a mirror when taking material from women.

As for men, the procedure is more painful. In this case, a loop or swab is used for sampling, which is inserted a few centimeters into the urethra. The doctor immediately before taking the material should inform the patient about how to prepare for the analysis. First, before taking a smear, you do not need to urinate for at least 2 hours. Secondly, in order for the analysis for gonorrhea to be reliable, it is not recommended to take antibacterial drugs before it. Thirdly, it is necessary to refrain from sexual intercourse. In addition, it is forbidden to wash before the procedure.

Bacterioscopic examination

Gonorrhea can be detected by microscopy of a native smear. The discharge of the genitourinary organs is applied to a glass slide, while the smear should be very thin. After that, it is stained. The causative agents of gonorrhea perceive aniline dyes well. For staining in laboratory practice, a solution of eosin, methylene blue is used. First, the smear must be fixed and dried, after which a solution of eosin, water, and then methylene blue is applied to it. The final stage is washing off the dyes with water, after which they proceed to microscopy.

Gonorrhea can be diagnosed with a Gram smear. In this situation, gonococci tend to discolor with alcohol. During the study, brighter gonococci will be visible against a pink background under a microscope. Bacterioscopy does not always give an accurate result, especially if the material was taken from the cervix of a woman. There are more reliable and modern diagnostic methods, for example, bacteriological examination.

Sowing on nutrient media

Gonorrhea can be detected by sowing the material and isolating a pure culture of the pathogen. Bacteriological analysis is carried out in the following situations: with negative results of microscopy, when determining the effectiveness of therapy and suspicion of the presence of gonococci in the biological material. For the growth of microorganisms, meat-peptone agar and some other media are used. The disadvantage of bacteriological analysis is that it takes a long time. It takes several days for colonies to grow. The advantage is that this method is the most reliable.

On the first day, the biological material is sown with a loop on a nutrient medium. This is done with strokes. Then the Petri dish is sent to the thermostat. The thermostat sets the optimum temperature (37 degrees) and humidity. On the second day, suspicious colonies are selected. It has been established that colonies of gonococci have their own characteristics. They include colorless or light yellow colonies, small size, shiny and smooth surface, slight bulge. On the third day, pure culture is isolated.

In order to accurately determine gonorrhea, it is possible to evaluate the enzymatic properties of the isolated microorganism. Gonococci can only ferment glucose. With the help of sowing biological material, it is possible not only to make a correct diagnosis, but also to determine the resistance of microorganisms to various antibiotics. This is very important for subsequent treatment.

Other methods of laboratory diagnostics

Very often in laboratory practice, serological methods of research are used. At the same time, in order to establish gonorrhea, RSK is carried out. In the event that there is a mixed infection, then gonococci can be identified by an immunofluorescence reaction. If a blood test is of greatest importance in other infections of the body, then in this situation it is an auxiliary method.

A blood test for gonorrhea reveals signs of inflammation. A blood test is not able to detect gonococci. Enzyme immunoassay is very popular. It will require smears and urine samples. The most reliable and fastest method for detecting gonococci is PCR (polymerase chain reaction) or LCR (ligase chain reaction). PCR is the most specific and sensitive test. Thus, a blood test for suspected gonorrhea is of little value. In most cases, microscopy, inoculation of material on nutrient media and PCR are used.