The effects of lactobacillus suppositories in the recovery and recur-rence of bacterial vaginosis: a double-blind randomized clinical trial

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most prevalent causes of abnormal secre-tion in women at fertility age. Also, Bacterial vaginosis is one of the most common dis-eases in women who refer to gynecology clinic. The main cause of the pathogenesis is increasing pH of vagina due to reduced number of lactobacillus and growth of anaero-bic bacteria. Prevalence of BV varies between 10 to 30 percent in different societies. Amsel criteria is used as diagnostic test in BV. This interventional study was designed to assess the impact of vaginal lactobacillus suppository and metronidazole compared to metronidazole alone on the recovery and recurrence of bacterial vaginosis. This study was a prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial which was conducted on 130 women with bacterial vaginosis to compare the effects of vagi-nal lactobacillus suppository and metronidazole. Bacterial vaginosis was diagnosed us-ing Amsel criteria that based on some clinical symptoms. Patients were divided into two groups, first group were treated with oral metronidazole plus lactobacillus and second group were treated with metronidazole alone. Patients were followed-up one week and four weeks after initiation of the treatment. One hundred and thirty women completed the study. Patients were followed at one and four weeks after initiation of intervention. Amsel criteria and recovery rate in both groups compared before treatment one and four weeks after treatment. The crite-ria and treatment were significantly improved, but this improvement was higher and statistically significant in the metronidazole plus Lactobacillus group compared to sec-ond group (P< 0.0001). The protective effects of lactobacillus in dealing with anaerobic patho-gens as well as the negative impact of metronidazole on lactobacillus of vaginal flora, use of lactobacillus along with metronidazole especially in patients with recurrent infec-tions is recommended. In other words, using lactobacillus with metronidazole for treatment of bacterial vaginosis is more effective than metronidazole alone.