Fax +41 61 306 12 34 E-Mail karger@karger.ch www.karger.com Original Article Gynecol Obstet Invest 2012;73:195–200 DOI: 10.1159/000332396 Does Vaginal Irrigation with Saline Solution in Women with Infectious Vaginitis Contribute to the Clinical and Microbiological Results of Antibiotic Therapy? Aysel Uysal Derbent a Mustafa Ulukanlıgil b Esra Aktepe Keskin a Gül Soylu b Hasan Kafalı a Departments of a Obstetrics and Gynecology, and b Microbiology, Fatih University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey group did not differ at these visits (z = 0.447; p = 0.655). Con- clusion: Vaginal irrigation with saline significantly reduces self-reported symptoms in the short term but has no effect on long-term clinical and laboratory results in women with infectious vaginitis. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel Introduction Vulvovaginal symptoms, including abnormal odor, itching, irritation, and noticeable changes in vaginal dis- charge, are common complaints of women who undergo gynecological examinations. Vaginal infections, includ- ing vulva-vaginal candidosis, bacterial vaginosis (BV), and trichomoniasis, are common causes of vulva-vaginal symptoms [1]. While the diagnoses of vaginal infection and detection of the responsible microorganisms require laboratory techniques and time, symptoms of vaginitis continue to bother the patient. Preoperative vaginal preparations are used to decrease bacterial loads and prevent postoperative infections [2]. Typically, povidone-iodine (PI) is used for vaginal prepa- rations, but it may irritate the skin. Lewis et al. [3] studied baby shampoo as an alternative to PI. They suggested that Key Words Vaginitis  Vaginal irrigation  Saline solution  Candida  Bacterial vaginosis Abstract Aim: To compare the clinical and microbiological results be- tween patients with infectious vaginitis receiving vaginal ir- rigation with saline or no irrigation before standard antibi- otic therapy. Methods: Women with vaginitis (n = 109) were randomized to receive vaginal irrigation with saline or no irrigation before standard antibiotic therapy. The vaginal symptoms perceived by subjects and clinical findings were assessed with a standardized scale during four follow-up vis- its, and Gram stain Nugent scores and vaginal fluid cultures were analyzed at each visit. Results: Vaginal discharge (z = 7.159; p ! 0.001), pruritus (z = 5.169; p ! 0.001), itching (z = 2.969; p ! 0.003) and odor scores (z = 2.303; p ! 0.021) were significantly reduced in the study group compared to the control group between the first visit and 3–5 days after irri- gation, before the start of antibiotic therapy. The second and third visits (15 and 30–45 days after antibiotic therapy) showed that the patients’ symptoms and amounts of visible vaginal discharge did not differ between the two groups. Moreover, the microbiological cures of patients in each Received: April 20, 2010 Accepted after revision: August 23, 2011 Published online: February 1, 2012 Aysel Uysal Derbent, MD Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fatih University School of Medicine Alparslan Türkeş Caddesi No: 57 Emek TR–06510 Ankara (Turkey) Tel. +90 312 203 5555, E-Mail ayseluysal  @  hotmail.com © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel 0378–7346/12/0733–0195$38.00/0 Accessible online at: www.karger.com/goi