title: [Vaginal infections in a Family Health Clinic in the Metropolitan Region, Chile].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vaginal infections are a frequent cause for consultation, but their prevalence and etiology vary in different populations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence and etiologies of vaginal infection in women attending a family health center in the Metropolitan Region of Chile.
  
  
  METHODS
  The microbiological diagnosis was made by wet mount and Gram stain. Diagnosis of trichomoniasis was performed by wet mount, culture and polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  101 women aged 15-54, not selected by signs or symptoms of vaginal infection, 46 of them pregnant were included. In 47 women (46.5%), vaginal infections were diagnosed. An association was observed between age and frequency of vaginal infection. The proportion of infections among pregnant and non-pregnant women was similar. The most frequent infections were bacterial vaginosis (16.8%), vulvovaginal candidiasis (11.9%) and co-infections (6.9%). We found 5.9% of intermediate microbiota cases, 3% of trichomoniasis and 2% of aerobic vaginitis. Symptoms of vaginal infection had poor agreement with microbiological findings. Otherwise physical signs had good agreement with the presence of infection, but low to moderate concordance with a specific etiology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found a high prevalence of vaginal infections in the study population. It is necessary to improve the definitions and criteria of microbiological diagnosis of co-infections and intermediate microbiota, for them to be diagnosed in the clinical practice. More descriptive questionnaires are recommended to enhance the usefulness of clinical examination.
authors: Rodrigo
authors: R
authors: Villaseca
authors: Alfredo
authors: A
authors: Ovalle
authors: Fernando
authors: F
authors: Amaya
authors: Bayron
authors: B
authors: Labra
authors: Natalia
authors: N
authors: Escalona
authors: Paola
authors: P
authors: Lizana
authors: M José
authors: MJ
authors: Montoya
authors: Eduardo
authors: E
authors: Lillo
authors: M Angélica
authors: MA
authors: Martínez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002181:Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D060085:Coinfection; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014246:Trichomonas vaginalis / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000382:microbiology; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D055815:Young Adult