Primary isolation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae on hemoglobin-free New York City medium.

New York City medium and New York City medium without hemoglobin were comparatively evaluated for their ability to support the growth of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated from 1,010 clinical specimens. Although hemoglobin in the form of lysed horse erythrocytes stimulated gonococcal growth, the absence of this component from New York City medium did not have a detrimental effect on the recovery of gonococci isolated from clinical specimens. Both media were comparable in their ability to cultivate gonococci from clinical material, with a total of 187 gonococcal isolates being recovered on each of the media. The results of this study showed that the preparation of New York City medium can be facilitated and that its cost can perhaps be reduced by the elimination of the hemoglobin component from the formulation without adverse effect on the recovery of N. gonorrhoeae isolated from clinical specimens.