ABSTRACT
Background: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) in pregnant women remains a cause for clinical concern among clinicians and health care professionals. BV has been linked to prenatal, antenatal and postnatal challenges in pregnant women. Information on prevalence of BV across trimesters of pregnancy is expected to give better clinical insight into the pathophysiology of this polymicrobial disorder. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of BV in pregnant women attending the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Nigeria. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study of 120 pregnant women (40 in each trimester of pregnancy) who had symptoms suggestive of BV, selected by systematic random sampling from among the women attending the Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O & G) clinic of NAUTH, Nnewi. Each subject participant was examined by the attending clinician, and high vaginal swab (HVS) sample was collected for diagnostic analysis of BV using with complete Amsel's clinical criteria, which consists of three of the four criteria; (i) adherent and homogenous vaginal discharge, (ii) vaginal pH > 4.5, (iii) detection of clue cells on saline wet mount, and (iv) amine odor after the addition of potassium hydroxide (positive Whiff test). Results: The mean age of the 120 selected participants was 27.25±6.09 years. The age groups 25-29 (36.7%) and 20-24 years (33.3%) constituted the largest proportion, while age groups <20 (5.0%) and 40-45 years (5.0%) constituted the least. Of the 120 participants, 26 (21.7%) were positive for BV by the Amsel's criteria. Pregnant women in age group <20 years had the highest prevalence of BV (100%, 6/6), followed by those in the age groups 20-24 (27.5%), 40-45 (16.7%), 25-29 (15.9%), 30-34 (9.1%) and 35-39 years (0%) (X 2=28.063, p=0.0001). Prevalence of BV was significantly higher in single (unmarried) pregnant women (45.5%, X 2=4.038, p=0.045), women with primary school education level (66.7%, X 2=14.530, p=0.001), unemployed women (36.1%, X 2=13.278, p=0.0013), and nulliparous women [36.4%, X 2 (for trend) = 4.805, p=0.0274), while there was no significant difference in the prevalence of BV with relation to trimester of pregnancy (X 2=2.750, p=0.253). Conclusion: This study reveals a relatively high prevalence of BV and significant association with factors such as age group, education and occupational status among pregnant women attending NAUTH Nnewi. Regular screening of women for BV prenatally may enable appropriate interventions to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Pregnancy Trimesters , Prenatal Diagnosis , Vaginosis, Bacterial , Pregnant Women , Hospitals, Teaching , PrevalenceABSTRACT
Background: Bacterial vaginosis is an imbalance in the ecology of the normal vaginal flora which is characterized by depletion of lactobacilli, and proliferation of anaerobic bacteria. It most often manifests clinically as a vaginal pH of > 4.5, presence of thin whitish homogenous vaginal discharge, detection of “clue” cells and presence of an amine odour after the addition of 10 percent potassium hydroxide. These anaerobic bacteria through specific products stimulate the decidual tissue causing an increase of cytokine level, release of phospholipase A2 and prostaglandins leading to preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes, chorioamnionitis and development of PID following abortion. To compare Amsel Criteria and Nugent Criteria for diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis.Methods: A cross sectional study involving 260 patients with preterm and term labour was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in North India. BV was determined to be present or absent on the basis of Amsel’s criteria and Nugent’s criteria. Pearson’s chi-square test was used to demonstrate the difference between both groups with respect to various categorical data.Results: Amsel’s criteria and Nugent’s criteria were reliable diagnostic methods. As compared to Nugent scoring system, Amsel’s criteria had sensitivity of 75%, specificity of 95%, positive predictive value of 90% and negative predictive value of 86%.Conclusions: Although the Amsel’s criteria is a convenient and inexpensive method of diagnosing bacterial vaginosis, it is not always reliable. Nugent’s criteria is considered as a gold standard for the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis but it requires an experienced slide reader and considerable time and skill. If lab equipment is not available as in many developing countries, the diagnosis of BV can be simplified by using a combination of any two Amsel’s criteria like vaginal pH and whiff test which had highest sensitivity and specificity (90.19% and 97.78%) respectively as seen in present study.
ABSTRACT
Background & objectives: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is highly prevalent among women in reproductive age group. Little information exists on routine vaginal pH measurement in women with BV. We undertook this study to assess the utility of vaginal pH determination for initial evaluation of bacterial vaginosis. Methods: In this cross-sectional study vaginal swabs were collected from women with complaints of white discharge, back ache and pain abdomen attending a government hospital and a community health clinic, and subjected to vaginal pH determination, Gram stain, wet mount and whiff test. Nugent score and Amsel criteria were used for BV confirmation. Results: Of the 270 women included in the analysis, 154 had BV based on Nugents’ score. The mean vaginal pH in women with BV measured by pH strips and pH glove was 5 and 4.9, respectively. The vaginal pH was significantly higher in women with BV. Vaginal discharge was prevalent in 84.8 per cent women, however, only 56.8 per cent of these actually had BV by Nugent score (NS). Presence of clue cells and positive whiff test were significant for BV. Vaginal pH >4.5 by pH strips and pH Glove had a sensitivity of 72 and 79 per cent and specificity of 60 and 53 per cent, respectively to detect BV. Among the combination criteria, clue cells and glove pH >4.5 had highest sensitivity and specificity to detect BV. Interpretation & conclusions: Vaginal pH determination is relatively sensitive, but less specific in detecting women with BV. Inclusion of whiff test along with pH test reduced the sensitivity, but improved specificity. Both, the pH strip and pH glove are equally suitable for screening women with BV on outpatient basis.