The Efficacy of Oral Clindamycin in the Treatment of Bacterial Vaginosis

Abstract

The efficacy of oral clindamycin in treating bacterial vaginosis was evaluated. In a descriptive study of 37 cases of reproductive-aged women with demonstrated clinical bacterial vaginosis on the presence of 3 out of 5 of the fol lowing signs (1) characteristically thin homogenous discharge ; (2) the vaginal pH > 4.5; (3) release of a fishy amine odor from vaginal fluid mixed with 10% KOH; (4) presence of clue cells (at least 20% of vaginal epithelial cells); (5) vaginal fluid contains few or no lactobacilli. The patients were treated with Clindamycin 600 mg per day orally for 7 days. Complete follow up was obtained one week after completion of medication. Of these 37 patients, complete response, defined as an absence of symptoms and presence of less than three clinical criteria, and partial response defined as an absence of symptoms but presence of three or more clinical criteria, were 94.5% and 5.5% respectively. Overall adverse drug reaction was 8.1% and all were mild and tolerable. Clindamycin is an alternative drug for the effective treatment of bacterial vaginosis. Its advantage over metronidazole is the absence of fetal teratogenesis during pregnancy. (Thai J Obstet Gynaecol 1994; 6: 91-99.)