A Cross-Sectional Clinical Investigation of Organisms Causing Vaginal Discharge in Patients in Rural Tamil Nadu, India

Background and aims Abnormal vaginal discharge is a prevailing gynecological problem among women in the reproductive age group. Vaginal discharges have multiple etiologies, and the present study was conducted with the objective of determining the prevalence of common organisms causing vaginal discha...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2023-01, Vol.15 (1), p.e33979-e33979
Main Authors: Shanmugam, Sr, Nithya Priyadharshini, Balasundharam, Amutha, Thomas, Irene N, A, Radhakrishnan, James, Joseph Jenson
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Data collection
Dermatology
Drug resistance
Ethics
Infections
Laboratories
Menstruation
Microorganisms
Motility
Ovulation
Patients
Potash
Potassium
Primary care
Stains & staining
Statistical analysis
Vagina
Womens health
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background and aims Abnormal vaginal discharge is a prevailing gynecological problem among women in the reproductive age group. Vaginal discharges have multiple etiologies, and the present study was conducted with the objective of determining the prevalence of common organisms causing vaginal discharge and correlating with its various types of clinical presentations in those women attending a rural health centre of a medical college in Tamil Nadu, India. Materials and methods The study was a cross-sectional descriptive study, conducted in a rural health center of a teaching hospital in Tamil Nadu, India, from February 2022 to July 2022. All the patients clinically having the symptoms of vaginitis and with a discharge were included in this study, and postmenopausal women and pregnant women were excluded. Data was collected from a total of 175 patients. Results The mean (SD) age of the study population was 34.8 (6.9) years. Almost half, 91 (52%), of the study participants were in the age group of 31-40 years. Bacterial vaginosis was found in 74 (42.3%) and was the most common cause of abnormal vaginal discharge in our study participants, followed by vulvovaginal candidiasis, 34 (19.4%). There were significant associations between high-risk sexual behavior and the presence of co-morbidities with abnormal vaginal discharge. Conclusion The most common causes of abnormal vaginal discharge were found to be bacterial vaginosis followed by vulvovaginal candidiasis. The study results help to initiate early appropriate treatment for effective management of a community health problem.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.33979