How is bacterial vaginosis diagnosed?

Due to the special physiological structure of women, coupled with monthly menstruation, if the hygiene is not done properly, it is very easy to be infected by bacteria. Clinically, there are still many female patients who need treatment for bacterial vaginosis. So, if a woman suspects that she has bacterial vaginosis, what kind of diagnosis should she generally make?

(1) Vaginal secretions increase, are uniform and thin, and often adhere to the vaginal wall.

(2) Vaginal pH > 4.5 (pH is usually 4.7-5.7, mostly 5.0-5.5).

(3) Amine odor test (whifftest) is positive. Take a small amount of vaginal secretions and place them on a glass slide. Add 1 to 2 drops of potassium hydroxide. A fishy smell like rotten fish is produced. This is due to the release of ammonia when amines meet alkali.

(4) Clue cell positive: Clue cells are the surface cells that fall off the vaginal stratified squamous epithelium. A large number of granules formed by Gardnerella adhere to the cell edges, and the edges are blurred. Clue cells account for all epithelial cells. Clue cell positive;

(5) Proline aminopeptidase positive: The activity of proline aminopeptidase in vaginal secretions is measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Orange or red indicates positive for bacterial vaginosis, while yellow indicates negative.

(6) Gram staining standard diagnosis: Gram staining method, microscopic examination found characteristic bacterial flora morphological changes, can be used as a diagnostic method for BV. Vaginal Gardnerella culture is not recommended as a diagnostic method because it is not specific enough. Gardnerella culture for diagnosis of BV has high sensitivity but low specificity because the bacteria are isolated from normal women.