Women's health, as we know, is a very important substancetender and fragile. And that is why it is very important to regularly visit a "women's" doctor - a gynecologist. And every woman knows that any visit to the doctor is certainly accompanied by such an analysis as a gynecological smear - the norm of leukocytes and other indicators should not be exceeded. A smear for flora, called bacterioscopy in medicine, is a laboratory study of the vaginal microflora, the purpose of which is to determine the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in a woman's body, as well as inflammatory processes. Bacterioscopy of a gynecological smear is one of the most inexpensive and quickly done studies - that is why the smear has become so widespread among gynecologists. The technique for conducting a vaginal smear study consists of several stages:
- A fence of vaginal contents.
The first stage consists of the actual collectionsmear. For this purpose, the gynecologist inserts special vaginal speculums into the vagina, after which, using a disposable spatula, he takes material from all suspected foci of the inflammatory process. As a rule. If the woman does not complain of inflammation, then the sampling is performed from three control points - from the external opening of the urethra, from the walls of the vagina and the cervix. A disposable spatula is a sterile stick with a slightly widened end, made of plastic. After collecting the biological material, the doctor applies it in an even layer to a laboratory glass specially designed for this purpose with a disposable spatula. Smears from different parts of the genitals are applied to different slides, which are designated by the following letters: "V" - vagina, "U" - urethra, "C" - cervix. After this, the contents of the slides are dried and sent to the laboratory for examination.
Decoding of gynecological smear
And here is the smear test for flora, or rather, its results,ready. However, to our great regret, not all doctors consider it necessary to thoroughly inform patients about all the test results, limiting themselves to general phrases. But every woman wants to know everything down to the smallest detail. Including the results of the gynecological smear test. This article provides the norms of the gynecological smear, its decoding and degree of purity. So, smear on flora, the norm:
- Flat epithelium.
That layer of mucous membrane cells thatlines the cervix and vagina, is called squamous epithelium. If a woman is healthy, squamous epithelium is necessarily present in her gynecological smear. Otherwise, if squamous epithelium is not found in the smear, the gynecologist may assume that the patient has a hormonal imbalance. As a rule, if the smear does not contain epithelium, the woman's body has an increased level of male hormones, but the amount of estrogens, accordingly, is significantly reduced. In addition, the absence of squamous epithelium may indicate such a disorder as atrophy of epithelial cells.
- Leukocytes.
Leukocytes perform the function of protecting the body fromvarious infections, preventing their penetration into the female genitals. Normally, the leukocyte count should not exceed 15 units in the field of view. In the same case, if the number of leukocytes significantly exceeds the norm, it can be assumed that some inflammatory process of the genitals is occurring in the woman's body, most often vaginitis or colpitis. And the greater the number of leukocytes, the more acute the disease is. If we talk about such a study as a smear on flora, the leukocyte norm is the main indicator.
- Staphylococcus aureus.
In the event that staphylococcus is in the smearcontained in small quantities, there is nothing to worry about - this is a normal phenomenon. If the number of staphylococci in the smear is large, especially if the level of leukocytes is also elevated, most likely, the patient has a severe inflammatory process of the mucous membrane of the uterus or vagina.
- Sticks.
Chopsticks are the only ones allowed insmear microorganisms. Their presence does not indicate the presence of any serious pathologies in the woman's body. Other indications of smear testing indicating the presence of problems:
- Kokki.
Cocci should not be confused with rods.Cocci are spherical bacteria. As a rule, the presence of cocci in a smear on flora, especially if gonococci are also present, is a symptom of such a venereal disease as gonorrhea.
- Ardenelli.
These small rods are the causative agents of suchdiseases such as gardnerellosis. If a woman's flora smear reveals these bacteria, it means she is either infected with this disease or suffers from severe dysbacteriosis.
- Atypical cells.
Atypical are flat epithelial cells glued together by small rods. As a rule, such smear results indicate the presence of vaginal dysbacteriosis.
- Fungus Candida.
Presence of yeast fungus of the genus Candida in the smearclearly indicates that the woman has an acute attack of thrush or, as doctors call it, vaginal candidiasis. In the same case, if the disease occurs in an asymptomatic latent form, fungal spores will be visualized in the smear on the flora.
- Trichomonas.
If a woman is sick with trichomoniasis, doctors will easily detect the pathogen itself – Trichomonas – in her smear test.
Additional diagnostics
Even if the smear contains smallbacilli, atypical squamous epithelial cells, cocci, which unmistakably indicate vaginal candidiasis to the doctor, for a final accurate diagnosis, it is sometimes necessary to conduct additional tests, such as DNA diagnostics (PCR method) and bacteriological culture. Why are the results of a regular gynecological smear often insufficient for an accurate diagnosis? Gynecologists explain this by the following factors:
- Infections such as mycoplasma,ureaplasma and chlamydial, are practically not determined by gynecological smear. Mycoplasmas and ureaplasma, chlamydia, viruses are so small that it is very, very difficult to notice them under a microscopic examination of a smear. Diagnosis by PCR or ELISA - the diagnosis is to identify these infections.
- Candida fungus found in the smear isa characteristic sign of thrush. However, in addition to an independent disease, candidiasis can be a comorbid phenomenon in more serious sexually transmitted diseases.
- Elevated white blood cells in the laboratoryThe study of a gynecological smear may indicate an incorrect analysis. Alternatively, as yet another possible option, the laboratory doctor, because of the huge number of white blood cells in the smear, may not see the causative agent of a sexually transmitted disease.
- In a huge number of gynecological casesThe smear helps to reveal the fact of presence in an organism of the woman of an infection. However, the sensitivity of the pathogen to antibiotics using a gynecological smear can not be identified. For this purpose it is necessary to carry out bacteriological sowing.
Thus, it becomes clear thatGynecological smears are an excellent means of primary diagnostics of disorders of the normal functioning of the female reproductive system. Remember about proper preparation for a gynecological smear: do not use any pharmacological drugs, especially vaginal suppositories. They can significantly distort the reliability of the smear and lead to an incorrect diagnosis. Wash yourself thoroughly before visiting a gynecologist, but do not douche under any circumstances. Otherwise, you also risk getting distorted laboratory test data. As a rule, the gynecologist tells you how to properly prepare for it the day before the test. Of course, it is best to never learn from your own experience what gynecological diseases are. However, the knowledge you gain today may be useful to you more than once in life: relatives, friends, just acquaintances. It is not for nothing that people say: "Forewarned is forearmed." We recommend reading:
