The study did not have adequate power to assess the potential impact of the rapid test on neonatal outcomes, but they should be a focus in future studies, he recommended.
When asked by an attendee if he would argue with new guidelines that recommend prophylaxis in women with risk factors even if they have a negative NAAT test result, Dr. Gupta emphatically said he would not argue with them.
“I don't think any of us … involved in this study would look at the NAAT as a replacement for antepartum screening. Antepartum screening clearly has been incredibly effective and very important for reducing the burden of GBS disease, so I think the idea would be that NAAT might be a supplement in certain populations who are currently being missed by the antepartum culture,” he commented. “So I agree with current treatment for either antepartum culture–positive moms or moms with other risk factors. This [test] doesn't really seem to replace that.”