From which site should a culture be obtained for gonococcal infection?

From which site should a culture be obtained for gonococcal infection?

• A. Blood
• B. From the site of initial infection (vagina or penis)
• C. Urine
• D. Conjunctiva

Answer: (B)

Gonococcal culture should come from the mucosal site of infection because Neisseria gonorrhoeae dwells on those surfaces and the organism is most concentrated there. For genital gonorrhea, that means sampling the endocervix in women or the urethra in men; samples from the throat or rectum are taken if those sites are involved. Urine or blood samples are less reliable for growing the organism, though urine in some testing workflows may be used for other types of assays. Conjunctival samples are only used when the eye is the infected site.

Gonococcal culture should come from the mucosal site of infection because Neisseria gonorrhoeae dwells on those surfaces and the organism is most concentrated there. For genital gonorrhea, that means sampling the endocervix in women or the urethra in men; samples from the throat or rectum are taken if those sites are involved. Urine or blood samples are less reliable for growing the organism, though urine in some testing workflows may be used for other types of assays. Conjunctival samples are only used when the eye is the infected site.