What is a whiff test for BV?
What is a whiff test for BV?
Whiff test. A sample of discharge is checked to see if a strong fishy odor is created when a special solution is added. A fishy odor usually means you have bacterial vaginosis.
Does a BV infection smell?
The most common symptom is a smelly vaginal discharge. It may look grayish white or yellow. A sign of bacterial vaginosis can be a “fishy” smell, which may be worse after sex. About half of women who have bacterial vaginosis do not notice any symptoms.
What are vaginal amines?
Production of amines is a property of several anaerobic bacterial species occurring in the human vagina, and these amines are released into the vaginal fluid in BV (4). In a study by Chen et al.
What is a positive whiff test?
In the whiff test, vaginal discharge is placed on a slide with 10% potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution. A positive test result is the release of an amine (fishy) odor after the addition of KOH to the discharge.
How do doctors determine bacterial vaginosis?
Your doctor may examine the vaginal secretions under a microscope, looking for “clue cells,” vaginal cells covered with bacteria that are a sign of bacterial vaginosis. Test your vaginal pH. Your doctor may check the acidity of your vagina by placing a pH test strip in your vagina.
What is an amine odor?
Amines have “interesting” odors. The simple ones smell very much like ammonia. Higher aliphatic amines smell like decaying fish. Or perhaps we should put it the other way around: Decaying fish give off odorous amines. The stench of rotting fish is due in part to two diamines: putrescine and cadaverine.
What does amine odor mean?
A positive test result is the release of an amine (fishy) odor after the addition of KOH to the discharge. The odor is due to the release of amines such as putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, and trimethylamine.
How do you check if you have BV?
How do I know if I have bacterial vaginosis?
- A thin white or gray vaginal discharge;
- Pain, itching, or burning in the vagina;
- A strong fish-like odor, especially after sex;
- Burning when urinating;
- Itching around the outside of the vagina.
Can a urine test detect BV?
In some studies, vaginal swabs are not collected, and first-void urine (FVU) may be the only material from which BV can be diagnosed. In most settings, pregnant women are traditionally screened for glucose and leukocytes in urine, and thus urine would be easy to collect for BV studies.
