Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33941088›Full record

Observational studyBMC infectious diseases2021

Group B streptococcal colonization in elderly women.

Rossella Baldan, Sara Droz, Carlo Casanova, Laura Knabben, Dorothy J Huang, Christine Brülisauer, André B Kind, Elke Krause, Stefanie Mauerer, Barbara Spellerberg and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract readMulticenter StudyObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC infectious diseases, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Prevalence of Group BMedical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Molecular epidemiology ofMicrobial genomics · 2023
    Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Rossella BaldanInstitute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 51, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
Sara DrozInstitute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 51, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
Carlo CasanovaInstitute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 51, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
Laura KnabbenDepartment of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Dorothy J HuangOutpatient Department & Colposcopy Unit, University Women's Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Christine BrülisauerInstitute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 51, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
André B KindOutpatient Department & Colposcopy Unit, University Women's Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Elke KrauseDepartment of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Stefanie MauererInstitute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Barbara SpellerbergInstitute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Parham SendiInstitute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 51, 3010, Bern, Switzerland. parham.sendi@ifik.unibe.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7347-6312
University of Bern · CHInstitute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene · DEUniversity Hospital of Basel · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn non-pregnant adults, the incidence of invasive Group B Streptococcus (GBS) disease is continuously increasing. Elderly and immunocompromised persons are at increased risk of infection. GBS commonly colonizes the vaginal tract, though data on colonization in the elderly are scarce. It is unknown whether the prevalence of GBS colonization is increasing in parallel to the observed rise of invasive infection. We conducted a three-year (2017-2019) prospective observational cross-sectional study in two teaching hospitals in Switzerland to determine the rate of GBS vaginal colonization in women over 60 years and i) to compare the proportions of known risk factors associated with invasive GBS diseases in colonized versus non-colonized women and ii) to evaluate the presence of GBS clusters with specific phenotypic and genotypic patterns in this population.

methodsGBS screening was performed by using vaginal swabs collected during routine examination from women willing to participate in the study and to complete a questionnaire for risk factors. Isolates were characterized for antibiotic resistance profile, serotype and sequence type (ST).

resultsThe GBS positivity rate in the elderly was 17% (44/255 positive samples), and similar to the one previously reported in pregnant women (around 20%). We could not find any association between participants' characteristics, previously published risk factors and GBS colonization. All strains were susceptible to penicillin, 22% (8/36) were not susceptible to erythromycin, 14% (5/36) were not susceptible to clindamycin and 8% (3/36) showed inducible clindamycin resistance. Both M and L phenotypes were each detected in one isolate. The most prevalent serotypes were III (33%, 12/36) and V (31%, 11/36). ST1 and ST19 accounted for 11% of isolates each (4/36); ST175 for 8% (3/36); and ST23, ST249 and ST297 for 6% each (2/36). Significantly higher rates of resistance to macrolides and clindamycin were associated with the ST1 genetic background of ST1.

conclusionsOur findings indicate a similar colonization rate for pregnant and elderly women.

trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trial ISRCTN15468519 ; 06/01/2017.

Indexed as

AgedAged, 80 and overAnti-Bacterial AgentsCross-Sectional StudiesDrug Resistance, BacterialFemaleGenotypeHumansMicrobial Sensitivity TestsMiddle AgedPregnancyPrevalenceProspective StudiesSerogroupStreptococcal InfectionsStreptococcus agalactiaeAnti-Bacterial AgentsColonizationElderly womenGroup B StreptococcusPostmenopausal womenStreptococcus agalactiae

Identifiers

PMID33941088
PMCPMC8091692
OpenAlexW3158751057

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.