Shuai Lou1,2,
Hongqing Lv1,2,
Lin Zhang1,2 
1Department of Gynecology, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, China;
2Jinhua Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Jinhua, China.
For correspondence:- Lin Zhang
Email: zljhzxyy@163.com
Accepted: 6 May 2024
Published: 29 May 2024
Citation:
Lou S, Lv H, Zhang L.
Efficacy of Lactobacillus live capsules in combination with metronidazole for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis. Trop J Pharm Res 2024; 23(5):887-892
doi:
10.4314/tjpr.v23i5.11
© 2024 The authors.
This is an Open Access article that uses a funding model which does not charge readers or their institutions for access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) and the Budapest Open Access Initiative (http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read), which permit unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited..
Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of metronidazole in combination with Lactobacillus live capsules for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis (BV).
Methods: A retrospective study of 100 BV patients was conducted between June 2020 and February 2022 at Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, China. Patients were assigned to control (48 patients received metronidazole only) and study groups (52 patients received metronidazole and Lactobacillus live capsules). Short-term efficacy, changes in vaginal flora distribution, recurrence rates, and occurrence of adverse effects were investigated.
Results: The study group showed significantly higher overall efficacy compared to control group (p < 0.05). After treatment, vaginal flora analysis revealed a more balanced microbiota in the study group, indicating a positive effect of combined therapy. However, recurrence rates at one and three months after treatment did not significantly differ between the two groups (p > 0.05). Both treatment regimens were generally well-tolerated, with only a single report of mild adverse reactions in the study group.
Conclusions: The combined therapy of metronidazole and Lactobacillus live capsules enhances short-term therapeutic effectiveness and promotes a healthier vaginal microbiota. Although, the combined therapy does not significantly impact recurrence rates, it demonstrates a favorable safety profile. The lack of attention to non-bacterial constituents of the vaginal flora and potential long-term adverse effects of Lactobacillus live capsules represent an area for future study.
Keywords: Bacterial vaginosis, Metronidazole, Lactobacillus, Combination therapy, Therapeutic efficacy
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