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CORRELATES OF CHLAMYDIAL CERVICAL INFECTION IDENTIFIED.

Chlamydia trachomatis infection has emerged as a common sexually transmitted disease and an important cause of infertility in women. To improve recognition of this often asymptomatic disorder, investigators from the Medical College of Virginia studied 2271 students who were receiving gynecologic care at the university health clinic.

Cultures for chlamydia were positive in 9 percent of the 1458 women from whom data were used to develop a diagnostic model and in 10 percent of the 729 women from whom data were used to validate the model. The independent positive correlates of chlamydia cervicitis included a new sexual partner within the past two months or more than one sexual partner within the past six months; an abnormal cervix (ectopy or friability); at least 20 polymorphonuclear leukocytes per high-power field in cervical secretions; and white blood cells in vaginal secretions. Use of an antibiotic active against chlamydia within the last month was an independent negative correlate. A diagnostic model using these variables reliably stratified patients into low-, medium-, and high-risk groups in both the derivation and validation cohorts. This model may be useful in identifying patients for whom cultures are cost-effective.

— THL

Published in Journal Watch General Medicine January 11, 1991

Citation(s):

Johnson BA et al. Derivation and validation of a clinical diagnostic model for chlamydial cervical infection in university women. JAMA 1990 Dec 26 264 3161-3165.

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