Effectiveness of the Isaacs cell sampler for endometrial cultures

Abstract

Because of encouraging results from a preliminary clinical investigation, a practical method of obtaining uncontaminated endometrial cultures using an endometrial sampling device developed for aspiration of cytologic specimens was investigated. Four groups of patients were studied: 8 nonpregnant women, 22 nonpregnant women having a total abdominal hysterectomy, 6 afebrile postpartum women and 8 women with postpartum clinical endometritis. The cervical flora obtained with a swab and the endometrial flora obtained with the sampling device and by direct culture at hysterectomy were compared. The data showed some degree of cervical contamination with the Isaacs method, suggesting that while the technique may be simple, design modifications of the device are needed for it to be dependable.