New Test Provides Rapid Group B Strep Results
Posted by Jacqueline Colclough, Esquire
According to Medical News Today, AdvanDx, a leading provider of advanced molecular diagnostic products, announced that it has received FDA clearance for a diagnostic test to detect Streptococcus agalactiae, commonly known as Group B Strep. The 90 minute test enables rapid and highly sensitive detection of Group B Strep to help detect colonization in pregnant women.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Group B Strep is the most common cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Approximately 25% of pregnant women are colonized with Group B Strep and can transmit the bacterium to their newborns during delivery. Generally, pregnant women are routinely screened for colonization between 35 and 37 weeks gestation to prevent transmission and newborn infection. Women who test positive are treated with antibiotics at the start of labor to eradicate the bacteria. Accurate detection of Group B Strep colonization is therefore crucial to prevent as many infections as possible. Current methods of detection. Clinical studies show that the significantly faster results as yielded by the AdvanDx test help clinicians provide more appropriate patient therapy that reduces unnecessary antibiotic use, patient length of stay and overall hospital costs.
Please visit CDC for important information about Group B Strep.
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