title: Bacterial vaginosis: an update on diagnosis and treatment.
abstract: Bacterial vaginosis is the most common cause of vaginal complaints. Bacterial vaginosis is further associated with a sizeable burden of infectious complications. Diagnosis relies on standardized clinical criteria or on scoring bacterial cell morphotypes on a Gram-stained vaginal smear. A few point-of-care tests have not gained footage in clinical practice, but molecular diagnosis is now pending. Treatment remains cumbersome and clinicians are currently rather poorly armed to treat bacterial vaginosis in the long run. As an adjuvant to standard treatment with antibiotics, alternative treatments with antiseptics and disinfectants, vaginal-acidifying and -buffering agents, and probiotics hold some promise for long-term prevention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. hans.verstraelen@ugent.be
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Verstraelen
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Verhelst
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005840:Gentian Violet; D006801:Humans; D007773:Lactates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010619:Phenazines; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology; D014622:Vaginal Creams, Foams, and Jellies / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D004202:Disinfectants; C035863:Gram's stain; D007773:Lactates; D010619:Phenazines; D014622:Vaginal Creams, Foams, and Jellies; D005840:Gentian Violet