Diagnostics for Group B Streptococcus: The Role of Clinical Microbiology in Prenatal Screening

Unless otherwise noted, P.A.C.E.™ accreditation will expire six months after the live webinar.

Prenatal Protection Against GBS Disease

Clinical microbiology laboratories can now have a greater impact on the diagnosis and treatment of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) in neonates and women.

GBS is a leading cause of neonatal sepsis and meningitis. Although prenatal screening in the United States has decreased the rate of early-onset GBS disease, the incidence of late-onset GBS disease is essentially unchanged.

Current screening recommendations include the collection and culture of vaginal-rectal specimens at 35 to 37 weeks of gestation. However, molecular assays can significantly improve patient care and are associated with higher sensitivity and specificity. They can also provide faster results.

This webinar will review the current recommendations for GBS detection in pregnant patients, highlight the various testing methods currently available to clinical microbiology laboratories, and identify the role that molecular methods can play in detecting GBS.

Learning Objectives

This webinar will help you:

• Describe the current GBS screening recommendations for pregnant patients
• Identify the role of clinical microbiology laboratories in GBS screening
• Explain the utility of molecular-based testing for detecting GBS colonization

Watch On Demand      Download Slides (PDF, 2.8MB)

This webinar is produced by Whitehat Communications, a provider of continuing education programs in clinical laboratory sciences that has been approved by the ASCLS P.A.C.E. Program. One P.A.C.E. credit hour will be provided for this complimentary, basic-level program.

Gerald A. Capraro, Ph.D., D(ABMM)

Gerald A. Capraro, Ph.D., D(ABMM) is medical director of the clinical microbiology laboratory for Atrium Health in Charlotte, N.C. He earned his doctorate in microbiology and immunology from Wake Forest University and completed fellowship training at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Dr. Capraro is board-certified in Medical and Public Health Microbiology and is actively involved in the American Society for Microbiology, the Pan-American Society for Clinical Virology, and the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI).