Screening for COVID-19 in asymptomatic pregnant women: Which is better; rectal or oropharyngeal/nasopharyngeal swab?

Year 2021, , 54 - 59, 30.09.2021

Tuğba Kınay , Funda Akpınar , Yıldız Akdaş Reis Etem Özkaya Rıza Durmaz , Yaprak Ustun

https://doi.org/10.46969/ezh.988147

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the incidence of asymptomatic COVID-19 disease in pregnant women with
rectal and oropharyngeal/nasopharyngeal swab to compare the efficacy of two samples.
Material and Method: This prospective cohort study included 234 asymptomatic pregnant women who had undergone
planned cesarean section between May 7 and September 24, 2020 in obstetrics unit of a tertiary care center, in Ankara,
Turkey. The oropharyngeal/nasopharyngeal swab, rectal swab, placental, amniotic fluid, and cord blood samples were
obtained from all participants. The placental, amniotic fluid, and cord blood samples were tested when any of the
oropharyngeal/nasopharyngeal or rectal samples were positive. The real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain
reaction (RT-PCR) test was performed to detect SARS-CoV-2 virus in the samples.
Results: The incidence of the asymptomatic COVID-19 disease was 0.42% (1/234) in the study population. One of 234
oropharyngeal/nasopharyngeal swabs was positive, while none of the rectal swabs including the one positive with
oropharyngeal/nasopharyngeal swab were positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus. The RT-PCR test results of the placental,
amniotic fluid, and cord blood samples of the COVID-positive case were negative.
Conclusion: The incidence of asymptomatic COVID-19 disease in pregnant women who had undergone elective cesarean
delivery was low, in Ankara, Turkey. In asymptomatic pregnant women, oropharyngeal/nasopharyngeal swab was found
to be more useful in detecting COVID-19 disease compared to rectal swab. No evidence was found about the intrauterine
transmission of asymptomatic disease. 

Keywords

COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, pregnancy, oropharyngeal/nasopharyngeal swab, rectal swab

Asemptomatik gebe kadınlarda COVID-19 taraması: Hangisi daha iyi; rektal mi orofaringeal / nazofaringeal sürüntü mü?

Abstract

Amaç: Çalışmanın amacı, rektal ve orofaringeal / nazofaringeal sürüntü ile gebelerde asemptomatik COVID-19 hastalık
insidansını değerlendirerek iki yöntemin etkinliğini karşılaştırmaktı.
Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu prospektif kohort çalışmasına, Ankara'da üçüncü basamak bir merkezin obstetri ünitesinde 7
Mayıs-24 Eylül 2020 tarihleri arasında planlı sezaryen yapılan 234 asemptomatik gebe dahil edildi. Tüm katılımcılardan
orofaringeal / nazofaringeal sürüntü, rektal sürüntü, plasental, amniyotik sıvı ve kordon kanı örnekleri alındı. Orofaringeal
/ nazofaringeal veya rektal örneklerden herhangi biri pozitif olduğunda plasental, amniyotik sıvı ve kordon kanı örnekleri
test edildi. Örneklerdeki SARS-CoV-2 virüsünü tespit etmek için gerçek zamanlı ters transkriptaz-polimeraz zincir
reaksiyonu (RT-PCR) testi yapıldı.
Bulgular: Asemptomatik COVID-19 hastalık insidansı çalışma popülasyonunda % 0,42 (1/234) idi. 234 orofaringeal /
nazofaringeal sürüntüden biri pozitif iken, orofaringeal / nazofaringeal sürüntü ile pozitif olan dahil rektal sürüntülerin
hiçbiri SARS-CoV-2 virüsü için pozitif değildi. COVID pozitif olgunun plasental, amniyotik sıvı ve kordon kanı örneklerinin
RT-PCR testi sonuçları negatifti.
Sonuç: Ankara'da elektif sezaryen ile doğum yapmış gebelerde asemptomatik COVID-19 hastalığı insidansı düşüktü.
Asemptomatik hamile kadınlarda, orofaringeal / nazofaringeal sürüntü rektal sürüntü ile karşılaştırıldığında COVID-19
hastalığını tespit etmede daha yararlı bulundu. Asemptomatik hastalığın intrauterin geçişine dair bir kanıt bulunamadı.

Keywords

COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, koronavirüs, gebelik, orofaringeal / nazofaringeal sürüntü, rektal sürüntü

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