Gonococcal NAATs: what is the current state of play in England and Wales?

The aim of this study was to determine how widespread the use is of dual nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) for the diagnosis of both Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) in England and Wales. A structured telephone questionnaire was used to collect information on the method of dual testing used by laboratories, the patient groups tested, the types of specimens obtained and the use of GC culture. Of the 108 laboratories participating, 29% performed dual CT and GC NAAT assays. The platforms used included: (i) BD Probetec (TM) (19/31), (ii) Aptima (R) Combo 2 (9/31) and (iii) COBAS (R) AMPLICOR (2/31). GC-positive specimens were either repeated using the same test (21) or an alternative target (9). Most laboratories confirmed positive GC NAATs by performing culture (26/31). Laboratories performed dual NAAT testing on specimens sourced from both community and genitourinary medicine clinic settings, and on a wide variety of different specimen types. This survey highlights a lack of consistency in the current use of dual NAAT platforms in the UK and the need for national guidelines.