Extended Treatment for Bacterial Vaginosis with Lactobacilli
Author Information
Author(s): Per-Göran Larsson, Erik Brandsborg, Urban Forsum, Sonal Pendharkar, Kasper Krogh Andersen, Salmir Nasic, Lennart Hammarström, Harold Marcotte
Primary Institution: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Kärnsjukhuset, Skaraborg hospital and University of Skövde, Sweden
Hypothesis
Can extended antibiotic treatment combined with lactobacilli reduce the risk of relapse in bacterial vaginosis?
Conclusion
Aggressive treatment with antibiotics and lactobacilli can provide a long-lasting cure for bacterial vaginosis, but changing sexual partners is strongly associated with relapse.
Supporting Evidence
- The cure rate was 74.6% after 6 months.
- The cure rate dropped to 65.1% at 12 months and 55.6% at 24 months.
- A new sexual partner increased the odds of relapse significantly.
Takeaway
This study found that giving women antibiotics along with good bacteria can help them get better from a common infection, but having a new boyfriend or girlfriend can make them sick again.
Methodology
63 women with bacterial vaginosis received aggressive treatment with antibiotics and lactobacilli, followed for up to 24 months.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to self-reported data on sexual partners and treatment adherence.
Limitations
The study had a dropout rate of 17% and included only women who completed the follow-up.
Participant Demographics
Caucasian women aged 18-55, mean age 33.7 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
2.8-31.2
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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