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Efficacy and tolerability of a local acting antiseptic agent in the treatment of vaginal dysbiosis during pregnancy

  • General Gynecology
  • Published:
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Abstract

Objective

In the present study, the efficacy and tolerability of the local acting antiseptic octenidine hydrochloride/phenoxyethanol (OHP) for the treatment of vaginal dysbiosis (VD) and/or bacterial vaginosis (BV) in pregnancy and its potential influence on preterm births and low-weight newborns were examined.

Methods

One-hundred nine pregnant women with increased pH values (>4.5) and BV characteristic symptoms were treated with OHP for 7 days and a second time in case of a recurrent pH increase. pH values were continuously controlled by women’s self-measurements.

Results

pH decreased to ≤4.5 in 67.9% of patients. Seven of 12 women (58.3%) treated again with OHP due to a recurrent pH increase finally reached the pH target (pH ≤ 4.5). No preterm birth occurred in the OHP group; no newborn had a birth weight <2,000 g. Rates of preterm births and low-weight newborns were comparable between OHP group and pregnant women without VD/BV.

Conclusions

OHP is effective and well tolerated in the treatment of VD/BV also in pregnancy without side effects and the occurrence of resistances. It could be an additional therapeutic option in the prevention of the multifactorial disease pattern ‘preterm birth’ with all their consequences.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Andrea Rathmann-Schmitz, Ph.D. (Bonn, Germany) for her assistance in preparing the manuscript for publication

Conflict of interest statement

The study was sponsored by the company Schuelke & Mayr. Data acquisition and statistical analysis were conducted independently.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gynaecological University Hospital and Polyclinic, Clinical Centre Südstadt Rostock, Südring 81, 18059, Rostock, Germany

    Volker Briese, Juliane Waldschläger & Bernd Gerber

  2. Endokrinologikum Hamburg, Centre for Hormonal and Metabolic Diseases, Gynaecologic Endocrinology and Prenatal Medicine, Hamburg, Germany

    Gerd Neumann

  3. GBP, Society for Biometry and Psychometrics GbR, Bielefeld, Germany

    Theodor W. May

  4. Schülke and Mayr GmbH, Norderstedt, Germany

    Jörg Siebert

Authors
  1. Volker Briese
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  2. Gerd Neumann
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  3. Juliane Waldschläger
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  4. Theodor W. May
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  5. Jörg Siebert
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  6. Bernd Gerber
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Volker Briese.

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Briese, V., Neumann, G., Waldschläger, J. et al. Efficacy and tolerability of a local acting antiseptic agent in the treatment of vaginal dysbiosis during pregnancy. Arch Gynecol Obstet 283, 585–590 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-010-1414-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-010-1414-4

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