Evaluation of bacteria vaginosis in pregnancy using culture and Nugent scoring system

Abstract

Background: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is an extremely prevalent vaginal condition and the number one cause of vaginitis among both pregnant and non-pregnant women.
Aim: To study the prevalence of BV among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics, in Ahmadu Bello University teaching Hospital and to compare the convectional Culture technique and the Nugent Score system.
Methodology: Two hundred thirty eight consenting pregnant women were recruited for the study. 121 who presented with clinical symptoms were categorized as cases while 117 asymptomatic women were studied as controls. Two HVS samples from the lateral walls of the vagina of each participant were obtained with sterile swabs for Culture, microscopy, and Nugent diagnostic criteria.
Results: The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis in Zaria was 12.6%. and 12.2% using the Culture and Nugent methods respectively. There is a strong correlation between Nugent criteria and the convectional Culture technique used for diagnosis of BV. However, they differ as Nugent Scouring system is rapid and fast but nonspecific as Culture method which can isolate the etiologic agents and subject them to antibacterial sensitivity tests.
Conclusions: The high prevalence of BV found in this study suggests that this vaginal infection should be diagnosed with standardized methods. Nugent criteria are economic easy to perform and sensitive and we propose that they should be used in resource constraint health centers lacking facilities and personnel to carry out culture and sensitivity techniques.