Comparing the Therapeutic Effects of Boric Acid and Fluconazole in the Treatment of Vaginal Candidiasis

Abstract

Background Candida vaginitis is the second most common cause of vaginitis in women after bacterial vaginitis. Among the approved treatments, boric acid has been proposed as an effective treatment for drug resistance and disease recurrence. Objective This study compares the effectiveness and side effects of boric acid and fluconazole in the treatment of candida vaginitis. Methods In this non-random study, 50 women with candida vaginitis, based on clinical and laboratory examinations from Iranian university hospitals were selected based on the convenience sampling method. The patients were randomly divided into two groups as follows: One group received oral fluconazole 150 mg for 3 days and the other group received boric acid suppository 600 mg for 14 days. Improvement was identified by laboratory tests. Analysis and statistical analysis were done with the help of descriptive tests of frequency, frequency percentage, Mean±SD, dispersion index, and chi-square. Results Seven people from the fluconazole group and five people from the boric acid group still had a positive culture after the end of the treatment period, and the response to the treatment was 78% with boric acid and 69.5% with fluconazole (P=0.023). Two people from the boric acid group and three people from the fluconazole group had complications during the treatment, and this difference was not significant (P>0.05). Conclusion Fluconazole and boric acid both improve bacterial vaginitis. However, the success rate of boric acid treatment is higher. Also, the frequency of complications in the group receiving boric acid was less, which can result in the success of treatment with boric acid.