Group B Streptoccus (GBS)* using Enriched Culture Medium
(ECM)
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the most common cause of
life-threatening infections in newborn babies in the UK and
Ireland. Most GBS infections can be prevented with intravenous
antibiotics, given at the onset of labour. This reduces the
likelihood of early-onset GBS infection developing in a baby born
to a woman carrying GBS at the time of delivery from around 1 in
300 to less than 1 in 6000.
Babies are usually exposed to GBS shortly before or during
birth. It is not understood why some babies are susceptible to the
bacteria and develop infection, whilst others do not. What is
clear, however, is that most GBS infections in newborn babies can
be prevented by giving higher risk women intravenous antibiotics
from the onset of labour until the baby is born. Complications that
arise during a neonatal GBS infection are serious and can involve
septicemia, pneumonia, meningitis, as well as visual and auditory
problems and death in one out of every 20 babies who are
infected.
GBS is a common commensal bacterium - approximately 30% of the
population are colonised with the bacterium in their intestines -
it does not cause harm and does not require treatment.
Approximately 25% of women of childbearing age carry GBS in the
vaginal-rectal area at any one time.
Screening for GBS is not routinely
done in the UK or Ireland but is routinely undertaken at The
Doctors Laboratory, MedLab Pathology's sister laboratory. The
method for testing is an enriched culture medium (ECM) specifically
designed for the isolation of GBS in swabs. Two swabs (lower
vaginal and rectal) need to be cultured at 35-37 weeks' gestation
to best predict colonisation with GBS around the time of
delivery.
MLP provides a high level service for testing of
GBS using the ECM method for the detection of Group B Streptococcus
(GBS) in pregnant women at the time of delivery or at any other
stage of their pregnancy.
Test Information
| Test |
Code
|
Sample
Type
|
Turnaround |
| Group B Strep by ECM |
GBS |
Micro Swab x 2 (blue) (rectal and vaginal) |
2 days |
Prepaid postal packs for Rapid GBS are provided free of
charge by MLP. Please request by contacting customersupport@medlabpathology.ie
or by contacting freephone telephone 1800 303 349
*Group B Strep Support (preventing GBS infection in newborn
babies), www.gbss.org.uk TDL follow's the
HPA's BSOP58 for all tests for GBS carriage.