Cepheid Rectal Sample Validation Study

Because of its high sensitivity and specificity, NAAT testing has largely replaced bacterial culture for the diagnosis of genital CT and GC in both males and females. NAAT assays have the greatest potential for detecting CT and GC in the rectum; however, no NAAT is currently cleared for use with extragenital specimens by the US Food and Drug Administration. In order to comply with CLIA regulations, laboratories must perform in-house validations to use NAATs with rectal and pharyngeal specimens. There are multiple studies in the literature evaluating NAAT assays in diagnosing CT and GC in rectal and pharyngeal specimens using expanded reference standards, which includes positive culture result and secondary confirmatory NAAT assays. The proposed validation study is intended to provide data to support the use of NAAT for rectal and pharyngeal specimens.