OSOM® Trichomonas Rapid Test is an innovative CLIA-waived, point of care diagnostic developed by Genzyme Corporation. The test uses a color immunochromatographic, capillary flow, "dipstick" technology and detects pathogen antigens directly from vaginal swabs. No microscope is needed. Results are available within 10 minutes of administration.
The test is performed by mixing a vaginal swab specimen with the kit's sample buffer in a test tube. This solubilizes certain trichomonads that may be present in the sample. The dipstick is then placed in the sample mixture. If Trichomonas antigens are detected, they will react with the reagents in the stick. A visible blue test line and red control line will indicate a positive result.
Huppert (2005) used OSOM and wet mount to test vaginal swabs from 449 women presenting with symptoms of vaginitis, exposure to T. vaginalis, or multiple sex partners. The sensitivity of the OSOM test was higher than that of wet mount (83.3% to 71.4%). The OSOM test's specificity was 98.8%, compared to 100% for wet mount. The study concludes that the OSOM test is a definite improvement over wet mount because of its rapid results, higher sensitivity and ease of use.1
- Huppert JS, Batteiger BE, Braslins P, Feldman JA, Hobbs MM, Sankey HZ, Sena AC, Wendel KA. Use of an immunochromatographic assay for rapid detection of Trichomonas vaginalis in vaginal specimens. J Clin Microbiol. 2005 Feb;43(2):684-7.
OSOM® is a registered trademark of Genzyme Corporation.
