BMJ 1994;309:807 (24 September)

Letters

New diagnostic test for vaginal infection

EDITOR, - The rapid visual test for bacterial vaginosis developed by Thomas C O'Dowd and Nick Bourne is based on diamine oxidases and is targeted to react with diamines, cadaverine, and putrescine, which are responsible for the fishy odour associated with bacterial vaginosis.1 The authors succinctly outline the steps entailed in obtaining an international patent for the test, though they have deferred publication of the relevant scientific attributes of the test. They have probably obtained extensive data on the relative utility of the test, using bacterial culture of pathogens responsible for bacterial vaginosis as the gold standard to establish a definite diagnosis in a woman. Presumably, too, they have determined the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the test and have extensively, though confidentially, subjected the test to extended peer review in the scientific community. General practitioners and office based specialists would need the above details before . . . [Full text of this article]


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