Erythromycin versus metronidazole in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis.
Of 101 women, 15-50 years of age, presenting with vaginal discharge, 34 had bacterial vaginosis and were randomly assigned to a seven-day course of oral treatment with either erythromycin (0.5 g b.i.d.) or metronidazole (0.4 g b.i.d.) in a single-blind, cross-over study. Treatment failure (> or = three clinical signs of bacterial vaginosis) occurred in 13 (81%) of 16 patients given erythromycin, as compared with three (17%) of 18 women treated with metronidazole (p < 0.001). Persistence of Gardnerella vaginalis, Mobiluncus species and/or Mycoplasma hominis was found in 14 of 16 patients treated with erythromycin, and in four of 16 patients treated with metronidazole. Treatment with metronidazole was successful (< or = two clinical signs of bacterial vaginosis) in eight of 10 cases of erythromycin treatment failure. Neither of two cases of metronidazole treatment failure was cured with erythromycin. At three-month follow-up of 31 women, persistence or recurrence of bacterial vaginosis was diagnosed in 11 cases (36%).
Wathne
B
B
Community Health Centre, Helsingborg, Sweden.
Holst
E
E
Hovelius
B
B
Mårdh
P A
PA
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012747:Sexual Partners; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology
D008795:Metronidazole; D004917:Erythromycin