Evaluation of the Wayson variation of a methylene blue staining procedure for the detection of microorganisms in cerebrospinal fluid.

Meningitis of bacterial origin is a severe infection that must receive immediate attention and prompt treatment. We evaluated a basic fuchsin-methylene blue, ethyl alcohol-phenol staining procedure (Wayson stain) and compared it with the Gram stain procedure for evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid. All smears were prepared within 30 min of receiving the specimen and examined without knowledge of the results of the companion smear or culture. Of 546 specimens entered into the study, 84 were culture positive. Based on the culture results, the sensitivity and specificity of Wayson stain were 90 and 98%, respectively, compared with 73% sensitivity and 99% specificity by Gram stain. We observed that Wayson staining is a particularly sensitive method for screening clinical specimens that contain proteinaceous background material. The Wayson staining procedure is a simple and sensitive technique for early detection of meningitis.