A whiff test is used to diagnose which condition?

A whiff test is used to diagnose which condition?

• A. Trichomonas vaginalis
• B. Bacterial vaginosis
• C. Candida albicans
• D. Genital herpes

Answer: (B)

The whiff test centers on detecting a fishy odor produced when vaginal secretions are treated with potassium hydroxide. This odor comes from volatile amines released by the overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria seen in bacterial vaginosis, especially when lactobacilli are reduced. BV typically presents with a thin, gray discharge and a higher vaginal pH, and the positive whiff test is a helpful diagnostic clue. The other infections have different signs and diagnostic tests: trichomonas often shows motile organisms on wet mount with a different discharge type; candida causes thick, white cottage-cheese discharge and is identified by its yeast/pseudohyphae on KOH prep; genital herpes presents with painful ulcers and is diagnosed by PCR or culture rather than a fishy odor. So a positive whiff test most strongly indicates bacterial vaginosis.

The whiff test centers on detecting a fishy odor produced when vaginal secretions are treated with potassium hydroxide. This odor comes from volatile amines released by the overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria seen in bacterial vaginosis, especially when lactobacilli are reduced. BV typically presents with a thin, gray discharge and a higher vaginal pH, and the positive whiff test is a helpful diagnostic clue. The other infections have different signs and diagnostic tests: trichomonas often shows motile organisms on wet mount with a different discharge type; candida causes thick, white cottage-cheese discharge and is identified by its yeast/pseudohyphae on KOH prep; genital herpes presents with painful ulcers and is diagnosed by PCR or culture rather than a fishy odor. So a positive whiff test most strongly indicates bacterial vaginosis.