After reading this article and taking this test, the reader should be able to: 1. Discuss the etiology of chronic wounds. 2. Describe the agents used for the treatment of chronic wound infections.

By using commercially available spectrophotometric and immunofluorescent immunoassays, Chlamydia trachomatis antigens were detected in first-void urine (FVU) sediments from 224 men attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic at a frequency of 81.6%-86.8% compared with 86.8% (33/38) positive by urethral swab culture (P less than .05). Endocervical cultures from 228 women attending a gynecology clinic yielded 92.3% (12/13) positive compared with 61.5%-76.9% for urine samples in three antigen-detection assays. Culturing urine from either gender yielded low positivity rates (23.7% for men, 15.4% for women). Defining truly infected patients as positive by culture or by any two of the three antigen tests, all assays were 100% specific. Immunodiagnostic testing of male FVU sediment appears to be a reliable, rapid, nontraumatic method for diagnosing chlamydia infection.

No abstract

First-void urine (FVU) sediments of 240 men were tested for Chlamydia trachomatis antigens by two enzyme immunoassays, TestPack Chlamydia (15 min) and Chlamydiazyme (3.5 h), and the results were compared with urethral swab culture results. The sensitivity and specificity on FVU sediment for TestPack Chlamydia were 76.2% (32 of 42 specimens) and 95.5% (189 of 198 specimens) versus 81.0% (34 of 42 specimens) and 96.5% (191 of 198 specimens) for Chlamydiazyme, respectively. Rapid, on-site detection of chlamydial antigen in male FVU would shorten the infectious period by hastening diagnosis and treatment.