Diagnosis of Bacterial Vaginosis by Conventional Methods in the Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Background Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is highly prevalent among women especially in reproductive age group but it is found also in other age groups. Bacterial vaginosis is a great health concern in India because of its complications. Most of the healthcare centers in India are not well-versed in advance diagnostics for BV. Aim To assess the utility of conventional methods for diagnostic evaluation of BV in the patients of different age groups. Materials and methods In this 1 year cross-sectional study, the vaginal swabs were collected from women with signs and symptoms of BV like complaints of vaginal discharge, odor, itching, back ache, etc. attending the department of obstetrics and gynecology of a tertiary care hospital in Western UP. These specimens are subjected to vaginal pH determination and are sent to department of microbiology for Gram stain, wet-mount and whiff test. Amsel's criteria were used for confirming BV. Results A total of 206 women included in the study, n = 63 (29.61%) were found to be having BV based on Amsel's criteria. The mean age of the females were found to be 30.77 years. The most affected age group was found to be 26 to 35 years, n = 33 (54%). The vaginal pH was significantly higher in n = 61 (29.61%) women with BV. Vaginal discharge was prevalent in n = 108 (52.43%) women. Presence of clue cells and positive whiff test were found to be in n = 63 (30.58%) and n = 61(29.61%). Conclusion The characteristics of vaginal discharge, vaginal pH determination, clue cells and whiff test is relatively easier conventional methods for diagnosis of women with BV where better facilities are lacking. These tests are suitable for screening women with BV and in formulating the treatment to check the complications. How to cite this article Mishra PP, Prakash V, Agrawal L, Premi HK. Diagnosis of Bacterial Vaginosis by Conventional Methods in the Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital. Int J Adv Integ Med Sci 2016;1(1):1-3.