Femoflor-screening - what is it? Preparing for analysis, conducting, transcribing

If it is necessary to conduct a qualitative examination in order to obtain an objective assessment of normal and pathogenic microflora in the urogenital female pathway, doctors prescribe femoflor-screening. What this is and how the analysis is done is known to most modern women: the diagnosis is based on the use of the PCR principle in real time. Due to the research the doctor has the opportunity to give a complex characteristic of the quantitative and qualitative bacterial composition of the microflora.

Microflora of female genital organs

As is known, the biocenosis of the urogenital tract in women is a collection of various microorganisms inhabiting the genitourinary system and related by a specific relationship. Bacterial flora of the vagina in women with an active reproductive system, ie, in reproductive age, ideally balanced, is a stable system and contains about a hundred different microscopic creatures. The main part of them are lactobacilli, due to them in healthy women there is a satisfactory flora.

Significance of lactobacilli and carrying out of femoflor-screening

Lactobacillus plays a huge role in ensuring the normal pH of the vagina. With the help of their lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide, its neutral level reaches 4.0-4.5. Since the acid medium is favorable for the growth of only lactobacilli, reproduction and active growth of other microorganisms is impossible. In addition, it is these lactic acid microscopic creatures that contribute to the strengthening of local immunity.

Lactobacilli are a natural barrier to the colonization of pathogenic microorganisms in their genitourinary system and their excessive reproduction. But, besides them, there are other bacteria in the vagina, and some of them are not useful. When suppressing lactobacilli, yeast fungi, staphylococcus, streptococcus and other pathogenic microorganisms begin to multiply actively, which can lead to some disturbances in the urogenital system of a woman. Age, way of life, the transferred diseases - all this can have a significant effect on the state of microflora.

Timely femoflor-screening (what it is and for what it is necessary to pass it, we will consider in detail all the more) will help to eliminate the disease, with a minimum of effort, and to prevent the occurrence of complications. Therefore, at the slightest and most insignificant at first sight violations, long before the appearance of unpleasant signs of a bacterial infection, it is necessary to see a doctor.

Principle of analysis for microflora

Femoflor-16 is a more modern technique, allowing for the most detailed analysis. This specific examination is characterized by a high sensitivity level, which makes it possible to carry out the procedure for detecting hard-to-reach anaerobic microorganisms. To identify the imbalance of bacteria, its developmental stages and the general nature of the microflora, experts recommend passing the femoflor screening. What it is? Special analysis, based on the results of which doctors have the opportunity to make the most effective therapeutic scheme.

A unique technique is carried out in real time. The advantage of this study, as already mentioned, is the PCR-12 panel. Polymerase chain reaction makes it possible to exclude unreliable results (both false and positive) with absolute accuracy.

Advantages of the study: what screening allows you to see a doctor?

Since the femoflore screen is able to determine the presence in the urogenital female tract of various pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa), it makes it possible to draw conclusions about their quantitative and qualitative composition. The results of the analysis are necessary for the doctor to do the following:

1. Identify unconditionally pathogenic microflora (the number of species of viruses, protozoa, bacteria can reach 7).
2. Assess the criteria necessary for screening the genitourinary tract 14 criteria.
3. Determine the total number of normal bacteria, the degree of dissemination by them, and also conditionally pathogenic microorganisms.
4. To find out the causes of the inflammatory process in the urogenital area.
5. Choose the most appropriate method of therapy.
6. Control the dynamics of recovery and stabilization of healthy microflora.
7. Objectively make a conclusion about the results of the treatment.

High accuracy and speed of response is another undoubted advantage of this diagnostic method. Meanwhile, the conduct of the research procedure should be preceded by a biological material screened by specialists.

Otherwise, the results of the survey may be unreliable. In order to undergo femoflor screening (how the material is taken, and how the procedure itself goes, the doctor must necessarily tell the patient and give appropriate recommendations for the preparation), the woman should be properly prepared.

Varieties of femoflore screenings

Complex estimation of qualitative and quantitative biomass by means of PCR allows to carry out a femoflor-screen under the conditions of control of sampling of a clinical sample. The name of the study necessarily contains a numerical value that depends solely on the active reagent chosen and displays in the analysis results the presence or absence of a specific number of bacteria. For example, femoflor-16 makes it possible to determine and objectively assess the qualitative and quantitative composition of 16 species of different normal, conditionally pathogenic and pathogenic microorganisms. In turn, other studies are not less often prescribed. The most common are femoflor-13, screening for femoflore-8 and femoflor-4.

Analysis of the urogenital tract in women helps specialists to differentiate the imbalance and normal state of the flora. Each type of laboratory-clinical diagnosis of the genitourinary female sphere provides enough health data directly dependent on the bacterial background in its urogenital tract.

What bacteria helps to identify a haemophilus?

The results of the analysis, according to experts, provide answers to many questions. Expanded femoflor-screening (which is part of the diagnostic complex, you can find out later) makes it possible to determine the total mass of living microorganisms and its qualitative and quantitative composition, which may include:

• Normal bacteria;
• Gardnerella;
• Ureaplasma;
• Candidate;
• Mycoplasma (genital);
• Trichomonas;
• Human herpes simplex virus of 1,2 types;
• Causative agents of gonorrhea;
• Cytomegalovirus;
• Chlamydia.

The cause of numerous pathological processes are violations of the balance of microflora. Minor changes in the bacterial composition will allow to find out what could have provoked such a state. In case of appearance of specific symptoms, the first thing to do is to consult a specialist.

Who should take the test to determine the qualitative composition of the microflora?

Clear signs of a violation of the bacterial background in the urogenital tract of the patient can be:

• Burning sensation;
• Permanent itching of the labia vulva and vagina;
• Changes in the intensity and abundance of natural female discharge;
• Discomfort in the genital area.

In the case of the appearance of at least one of the above symptoms after prolonged antibiotic or hormone therapy, especially important is the use of femo-phrenic screening. What it is, how the analysis is going, and how to prepare carefully for it, you need to know the women who:

• Plan a pregnancy;
• Prepare for in vitro fertilization;
• In the near future will undergo surgery on the pelvic organs;
• Pass comprehensive diagnostics to identify diseases in the presence of the above symptoms;
• Suffer from rapid progression of dysbiotic processes;
• Underwent a course of ineffective treatment.

What influences the results of the results of the femoflore screen?

Women who are diagnosed as "infertile" need to undergo a study to draw up a therapy regimen. In the case of a natural interruption of several pregnancies in a row, a detailed study of the state of the reproductive system also plays an important role. If there is a discrepancy between the diagnosis and the real symptomatology, the patient may be assigned a femoflor-screen. The results of the survey will confirm the current diagnosis or establish a new diagnosis.

Affect the state of the bacterial flora in the urogenital ways of a woman is capable of long-term use of hormonal-based contraceptives. First of all, the decrease in the number of estrogens adversely affects the state of microflora. For similar reasons violations of the "living" background of the genitourinary sphere include also the use of low-quality intrauterine spirals, regular excessive douching.

How is screening done?

The quality of the material used plays a fundamental role in the analysis. An indispensable condition for the success of this type of diagnosis can be called the correct technique of sampling biological material, for obtaining which scrapes are taken with:

• Urethra;
• Cervical canal;
• Of the vagina.

The material required for screening is obtained, as a rule, with a sterile disposable instrument like the cytobrush. The clinical specimen is then placed in a prepared test tube - eppendorf. Its peculiarity is the availability of a suitable medium for transportation. After placing the inside of the clinical material, the tube is labeled indicating the patient's data, date and name of the analysis.

The definition of the norm and the interpretation of the indicators of analysis

An unconditional indicator of a correctly conducted sampling procedure is a sufficient volume of genomic DNA in the sample, where its source is the epithelial cells. With properly taken scrapes, they will always be present on the laboratory instruments, with which help they carry out the femoflor-screen. The standard of CME (material collection control), as a rule, is 105 units. In the case of obtaining a smaller indicator, the results of the diagnosis may be considered unreliable and a reassessment of the research procedure should be made.

If we talk about the value of the total mass of bacteria, the best and most convenient method of examination is considered to be femofloor screening. Decoding OBM at rates of 106-108 units. Speaks about the ideal number of living microorganisms. If these values are exceeded, that is, the excessive presence of bacteria, the probability of developing atrophic processes after taking antibiotics by the patient is quite high.

An equally important indicator of the bio-norm in the urogenital tract is the amount of lactobacilli. Normally their laboratory number is about 106-108 units. Meanwhile, the lack of this type of living beings suggests that the microflora is pathogenic. Together with the identification of lactobacilli, the flora of aerobic and anaerobic living microorganisms is evaluated, including mycoplasma, candida, ureaplasma and others.

Having deciphered the answers of the femoflor research, the doctor is able to give a conclusion about the state of the microflora. The medical conclusion based on the analysis can be one of the following:

• Normocoenosis;
• Moderate type dysbiosis;
• Pronounced dysbiosis.

Since the main material for research using PCR is the scraping of epithelial cells, it is of great importance that the patient is prepared for the diagnosis. KVM is designed to exclude false negative results as much as possible. In the case of the value obtained by the survey in 10 ^ 4, the answers are subject to interpretation by specialists. If the result is less than this figure, a second study is required.

How can a woman prepare for the procedure?

If it is necessary to conduct a research procedure to identify several biotypes, manipulation is performed each time, using a new tube and a sterile probe.

As with any other gynecological procedures, without preliminary actions it is impossible to perform normal femoflor-screening. Preparation for the analysis and collection of biomaterial is the observance on the eve of certain restrictions:

1. Before manipulation, a woman should not use soap while observing intimate hygiene, perform douching.
2. A week before the procedure, you can not take any antibacterial drugs.
3. It is impossible to conduct a study during menstruation, and also for 5 days after it.
4. 3 days before the test, you should stop using vaginal contraceptive pills, candles, gels, etc.
5. At the same time it is desirable to refrain from sexual intimacy.
6. For a couple of hours before direct scrapes, do not urinate.
7. A particularly important condition is the ban on the collection of material on PCR after colposcopy.

What can cause damage to the microflora of the urogenital tract?

Dysbiosis in women can be virtually asymptomatic. However, it often leads to the development of serious problems in the functioning of the reproductive system and a decrease in the quality of life of the patient.

To avoid the occurrence of pathologies associated with the imbalance of beneficial and harmful bacteria, you must carefully monitor the health of the entire genitourinary system. Especially pay attention to the presence of factors potentially carrying a threat to women's health:

• Hormonal changes caused by irregular sexual activity, pregnancy, childbirth, abortive termination of pregnancy, menopause, the use of hormonal contraceptives;
• The management of an antisocial lifestyle, frequent changes in sexual partners;
• Untimely treatment of STDs;
• Long-term therapy with antibiotics;
• Chronic intestinal diseases and dysbacteriosis;
• Violation or incorrect observance of personal hygiene rules;
• Stressful situations;
• Change of climatic zone.