Nugent Scoring System Research Articles

Role of Lactobacillus Species in the Intermediate Vaginal Flora in Early Pregnancy: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BackgroundPoor obstetrical outcomes are associated with imbalances in the vaginal flora. The present study evaluated the role of vaginal Lactobacillus species in women with intermediate vaginal flora with regard to obstetrical outcomes.MethodsWe retrospectively analysed data from all women with singleton pregnancies who had undergone routine screening for asymptomatic vaginal infections at our tertiary referral centre between 2005 and 2014. Vaginal smears were Gram-stained and classified according to the Nugent scoring system as normal flora (score 0–3), intermediate vaginal flora (4–6), or bacterial vaginosis (7–10). Only women with intermediate vaginal flora were investigated. Women with a Nugent score of 4 were categorised into those with and without Lactobacilli. Follow-up smears were obtained 4–6 weeks after the initial smears. Descriptive data analysis, the Welch’s t-test, the Fisher’s exact test, and multiple regression analysis with adjustment for confounders were performed. Gestational age at delivery and birth weight were the outcome measures.ResultsAt antenatal screening, 529/8421 women presented with intermediate vaginal flora. Amongst these, 349/529 (66%) had a Nugent score of 4, 94/529 (17.8%) a Nugent score of 5, and 86/529 (16.2%) a Nugent score of 6. Amongst those with a Nugent score of 4, 232/349 (66.5%) women were in the Lactobacilli group and 117/349 (33.5%) in the Non-Lactobacilli group. The preterm delivery rate was significantly lower in the Lactobacilli than in the Non-Lactobacilli group (OR 0.34, CI 0.21–0.55; p<0.001). Mean birth weight was 2979 ± 842 g and 2388 ± 1155 g in the study groups, respectively (MD 564.12, CI 346.23–781.92; p<0.001). On follow-up smears, bacterial vaginosis rates were 9% in the Lactobacilli and 7.8% in the Non-Lactobacilli group.ConclusionsThe absence of vaginal Lactobacillus species and any bacterial colonisation increases the risks of preterm delivery and low birth weight in women with intermediate vaginal flora in early pregnancy.

Prevalence of and risk factors for bacterial vaginosis among women of reproductive age attending cervical screening in southeastern Brazil.

To determine the prevalence of and risk factors for bacterial vaginosis. A cross-sectional study of women aged 14-54 years attending 18 primary healthcare units in Botucatu, Brazil, for cervical screening was undertaken between September 1, 2012, and January 31, 2013. Data on sociodemographics, sexual behavior, and medical history were obtained by interview. Vaginal swabs were taken to classify the vaginal flora according to the Nugent scoring system. Candida sp. hyphae and infection by Trichomonas vaginalis were also evaluated by microscopy and culture, respectively. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors independently associated with bacterial vaginosis. Among 1519 women included in analyses, 457 (30.1%) had bacterial vaginosis. Variables independently associated with bacterial vaginosis were a single marital status (OR 1.4; 95%CI 1.1-1.8), partner infidelity (OR 1.5; 95%CI 1.2-1.9), abnormal discharge in the previous year (OR 1.5; 95%CI 1.2-2.0), and concurrent trichomoniasis (OR 4.1; 95%CI 1.5-11.5). Current use of hormonal contraception (OR 0.7; 95%CI 0.5-0.9), luteal phase of menstrual cycle (OR 0.8; 95%CI 0.6-0.9), higher income (OR 0.8; 95%CI 0.6-0.9), and vaginal candidiasis (OR 0.5; 95%CI 0.3-0.9) all had protective effects. The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis in the study population is high. The epidemiological data provide evidence of the sexual transmissibility of bacterial vaginosis.

Diagnostic value of Amsel's clinical criteria for diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis.

Introduction:Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is one of the most prevalent infections in women of reproductive age. Amsel’s criteria and Nugent scoring system are among the most commonly used diagnostic methods. Although Nugent scoring system is considered the gold standard for diagnosing BV, it is time consuming and costly, and its interpretation needs lab equipment and experts. Hence, most physicians are inclined to use simpler clinical criteria that are yet accurate instead. The present study aimed to determine the diagnostic value of Amsel’s criteria in diagnosing BV.Material and Methods:This present study was conducted to validate diagnostic tests of BV in 120 married women in 2013. Amsel’s criteria and Nugent scoring system were used to diagnose BV. Nugent scoring system was considered the gold standard and sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of Amsel’s criteria were compared with those of Nugent scoring system.Results:Kappa coefficient was used to assess the diagnostic value of Nugent scoring system and Amsel’s criteria. Kappa coefficient was found 0.8, which confirms the reliability of both diagnostic methods. McNemar test did not reveal a significant difference between Nugent scoring system and Amsel’s criteria in terms of diagnosing BV. As compared to Nugent scoring system, Asmel’s criteria enjoy sensitivity of 0.91, specificity of 0.91, positive predictive value of 0.86, negative predictive value of 0.94, and accuracy of 0.91.Conclusion:If lab equipment is not available for diagnosing BV, Amsel’s criteria can be as good as Nugent scoring system at diagnosing this infection.

Vaginal infections among pregnant women at Omdurman Maternity Hospital in Khartoum, Sudan.

Microbial infections of the vagina in pregnant women are health problems that lead to serious medical complications and consequences. This study aimed to investigate and determine antimicrobial susceptibilities of the causative agents of vaginal infections in pregnant women. A cross-sectional study of pregnant women (n = 200) was conducted between August and December 2008 at Omdurman Maternity Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan. Vaginal and cervical swabs were obtained from each subject and processed for isolation and identification of pathogenic microorganisms using standard methods of wet mount preparation, direct Gram smear, Nugent scoring system, direct immunofluorescence, and cultural techniques. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bacterial isolates was performed using standard procedures. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS program version 12.0.1. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Of the 200 pregnant women enrolled, BV was detected in 49.8%, followed by Chlamydia trachomatis (31.3%) and Candida albicans (16.6%), with low frequencies of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (1.8%) and Trichomonas vaginalis (0.5%). Higher infection rates were recorded among subjects in the third trimester (71.6%) than in the second trimester of gestation (28.4%). No significant association (p = 0.7) between history of abortions and C. trachomatis infections was found. Gentamicin was the most active agent against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Clarythromycin was the most active against Mycoplasma species. Pregnant women with vaginal complaints revealed various positive microbiology results. Such cases may require specific medication. Routine culture of vaginal and cervical samples should be performed on all pregnant women during prenatal visits.

Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis among pregnant women attending antenatal care in Tikur Anbessa University Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BackgroundBacterial vaginosis is one of the most common genital tract infections among reproductive age group. The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis varies from country to country even in the same country it varies among populations of interest. Different social and sexual factors can contribute to the development of bacterial vaginosis. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and to identify the possible risk factors associated among pregnant women attending antenatal care in Tikur Anbessa University Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.MethodsRandomly selected 57 symptomatic and 195 asymptomatic pregnant women aged between 18 and 40 years visiting obstetric and gynecological clinic from November 2011 to April 2012 screenedusing Gram stain Nugent scoring system. Statistical analysis like univariate analysis to calculate frequencies and proportions, bivariate analysis to see association of selected exposure variables with the outcome variable, and multivariate analysis to check the association of possible factors with bacterial vaginosis by adjusting potential confounding factors was calculated using SPSS (Version 16.0).ResultsThe prevalence of bacterial vaginosis is 19.4% using Gram stain Nugent scoring system. In addition, prevalence of bacterial vaginosis is 31.6% and 15.9% among symptomatic and asymptomatic pregnant women respectively. A high percentage of bacterial vaginosis positive pregnant women were asymptomatic (63.3%). 36.7% bacterial vaginosis positive pregnant women reported abnormal vaginal discharge with or without unpleasant smell. Multiple lifetime sexual partner (OR: 8.6; 95% CI: 2.5, 29) and previous history of spontaneous abortion (OR: 5.9; 95% CI: 1.5, 23) had remained significantly associated with prevalence of bacterial vaginosis.ConclusionThe prevalence of bacterial vaginosis is higher among asymptomatic pregnant women and associated with the factors previous history of multiple lifetime sexual partner and spontaneous abortion.

P3.035 Prevalence of Genital Mycoplasmas and Bacterial Vaginosis in Pregnant Women in Gauteng, South Africa

BackgroundBacterial vaginosis and genital mycoplasmas are reproductive tract infections that are associated with several infections and adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, preterm birth and spontaneous abortions in...

Assessment of Bacterial Vaginosis Incidence and Neonatal Outcome on Cases with Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes

SUMMARY Objective: The effect of bacterial vaginosis on cases with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) was searched via screening for bacterial vaginosis (BV) in cases with PPROM and healthy pregnant women during same gestational weeks. Material and method: The study incorporated 121 patients who applied to obstetrics poly-clinics at our hospital. Detailed medical histories were obtained from all patients, prior to vaginal examination by sterile speculum. Vaginal samples were taken for analysis via Nugent scoring system. Through verbal scoring, the symptoms due to vaginitis, namely, vaginal discharge, vaginal burning, pruritis, dysuria and malodor were recorded. With regard to pre- and postnatal periods, age, gestational week, complete blood count values, history of gravida, parity and abortion, history of PPROM and duration, gestational week at the time of delivery, mode of delivery of the cases and maternal morbidity were evaluated. All participants were asked to grant informed consents. The study was held under approval by Ethics Committee of the Hospital. Results: The study incorporated 72 cases of pregnant women with PPROM as study group, and 49 cases of healthy pregnant women as control group. No statistically significant difference was determined in terms of average age, gravida and parity values. Nugent scoring system revealed bacterial vaginosis in 75 cases (75/121; 61.9%) in total: 43 in PPROM study group (43/72; 35.5 %) and 32 in control groups (32/49; 26.4%). Statistically, BV was determined at a higher ratio in PPROM study group; similarly, vaginal delivery ratio was higher and APGAR scores of neonates at 1st and 5th minutes were lower in PPROM study group, compared to control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Bacterial vaginosis is a frequently detected infectious disease for pregnant women. It can be considered as an important factor in etiology of PPROM and perinatal morbidity.

Comparison of clinical and gram stain diagnosis methods of bacterial vaginosis among pregnant women in ethiopia.

Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) is characterized by an increased thin homogenous white vaginal discharge accompanied by fishy odour and increased vaginal pH. It is associated with different gynecologic and poor obstetric outcome. Bacterial vaginosis can be easily diagnosed by combination of two Amsel's criteria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of Amsel's criteria individually or in combination of two for the clinical diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis among pregnant women in Ethiopia. In this crosssectional study 252 pregnant women were screened for bacterial vaginosis. Vaginal swabs were collected for pH determination, saline wet mount microscopic examination to detect clue cells, KOH preparation for whiff test and Gram-stain evaluation of vaginal flora for diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis by Nugent scoring system. Accuracy of clinical diagnosis using individual and two of Amsel's criteria was evaluated. The prevalence of BV was 18.3% by Amsel's two of three criteria and 19.4% Gram by Nugent's methods. Comparing with Nugent scoring methods, the clinical diagnosis by Amsel's criteria had sensitivity of 85.7%, specificity of 98%. The most sensitive and specific individual Amsel's criterion was clue cells. Amsel's criteria with the lowest sensitivity and specificity were whiff test and vaginal pH respectively. Combination of clue cells with vaginal pH test were the highest in sensitive while whiff test with clue cells were the highest in specificity than the other combined two Amsel's criteria. Amsel's criteria diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis can be simplified by using a combination of the two criteria, vaginal pH and clue cells, in settings where time or Gram staining is not available.

Candida albicans and Bacterial Vaginosis Can Coexist on Pap Smears

Objective: The aim of our study was to study the relationship of blastospores and pseudohyphae in Papanicolaou (Pap) smears and Nugent scores for bacterial vaginosis (BV). Study Design: A total of 471 Pap smears with Candida albicans were reviewed. The presence of blastospores and pseudohyphae was established. The Pap smears were restained with the Gram stain method to evaluate the bacterial flora according to the Nugent scoring system. Results: Of the 471 Pap smears, blastospores and pseudohyphae were observed in 62.8% (296/471) and 37.2% (175/471) of the smears, and displayed symptoms in 4.4% (13/296) and 43.4% (76/175), respectively. A significant difference was found between these 2 groups (p < 0.0001). A positive BV Nugent score (≥ 7) was found in 22.1% (104/471) of the C. albicans cases. Blastospores and pseudohyphae with BV were 14.2% (42/296) and 35.4% (62/175), respectively. These high Nugent scores indicate statistically significant differences (p < 0.0001). Conclusion:C. albicans and BV can coexist. The presence of blastospores in these C. albicans cases was negatively related to symptoms.

BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS IN INDIAN WOMEN IN THE REPRODUCTIVE AGE GROUP

Background : Bacterial vaginosis is a vaginal infection in women in the reproductive age group with complex change in vaginal flora. Many women are asymptomatic but some women present with abnormal vaginal discharge. It can lead to complications like preterm birth, infertility, post partum endometritis and first trimester loss. Nugent criteria are used to diagnose bacterial vaginosis. Objectives : This study was done with the objective of analyzing the type of bacteria causing vaginosis in different age groups during the reproductive period of a woman life. 100 women with vaginal discharge (test group) and 50 women (control group) attending the gynaecology outpatient for other problems were included in the study. Three high vaginal swabs were taken and examined for clue cells and mobiluncus spp. pH of the vaginal secretions was noted. Gram stain was done to quantify bacterial morphotypes. Diagnosis was done using the Nugent scoring system. Results : A significantly high incidence (p 0.05) was found in the test group. 53% of women with vaginal discharge were in the age group of 21-30 years indicating that vaginosis is very common in the early reproductive years. Mobiluncus spp. was found only in the test group. 46% had an abnormal Nugent score and

O1-S05.06 Association between prevalent Bacterial vaginosis (BV) and HIV Infection among female sex workers at two African and two Indian sites

BackgroundBV is the most common female genital infection, particularly in developing countries and reaches its highest prevalence among female sex workers (FSWs). Over the past decade, evidence has accumulated as...

Correlation of Trichomonas vaginalis to bacterial vaginosis: a laboratory-based study

This study aimed to define the occurrence of different organisms causing vulvovaginitis; to evaluate different laboratory methods used for diagnosis of Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis); and to evaluate the direct score system and clue cell method compared with culture for diagnosis of bacterial and T. vaginalis vaginosis. Clinical and laboratory evaluations were performed for 110 patients. Laboratory methods used for bacteriological diagnosis were direct Gram staining for clue cells and scoring by Nugent score system and bacterial culture. T. vaginalis was identified by wet mount microscopic examination, culture, direct Gram, Giemsa staining and acridine orange (AO). The Nugent score method revealed that the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of vaginal discharge by direct rapid microscopic methods were 30% and 80% and for clue cells sensitivity and specificity were 37% and 75% respectively for diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis compared to culture. For diagnosis of T. vaginalis, the Nugent score method revealed that the sensitivity and specificity were 60% and 90% respectively, and for clue cells 75% and 80% respectively. For microcopic methods used for T. vaginalis only, the Gram stain and Giemsa stain sensitivities were poor (15.2% and 48.5%, respectively). Wet mount showed reasonable sensitivity of 75.8%. Acridine orange sensitivity was 93.9% and specificity was 97.5%, Prevalent pathogens associated with vaginitis were (Gardnerella vaginalis) G. vaginalis, T. vaginalis and Mycoplasma hominis (M. hominis). Wet mount microscopic examination, acridine orange, and high Nugent score were found as rapid and sensitive methods for diagnosis of T. vaginalis.

VALIDEZ Y REPRODUCIBILIDAD DEL SISTEMA DE PUNTUACIÓN DE NUGENT PARA EL DIAGNÓSTICO DE VAGINOSIS BACTERIANA EN MUJERES EMBARAZADAS

SUMMARY Background: The bacterial vaginosis is found in 15% to 20% of the pregnant women and the study of the vaginal discharge using the Amsel criteria is the usual method to diagnose it. However, there are other diagnostic methods like the Nugent Score System which has shown to be accurate and less expensive. Objective: To evaluate the accuracy and reliability of the Nugent Score System for diagnosing bacterial vaginosis in pregnant women. Methods: This is a study for evaluating medical tests. We studied 100 women who had a low risk pregnancy. Two samples of the vaginal discharge were taken in each woman and three masked

Midpregnancy Vaginal Fluid Defensins, Bacterial Vaginosis, and Risk of Preterm Delivery

To assess relations among midpregnancy vaginal defensin levels, a component of the host innate immune response, bacterial vaginosis, and risk of preterm delivery. These relations are compared across race groups because previous studies have repeatedly shown that the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and the risk of preterm delivery are greater in African-American women compared with that in white women. Data are from a prospective study that enrolled pregnant women from 52 clinics in five Michigan communities. In the study subcohort, defensins (human neutrophil peptides 1, 2 and 3) and bacterial vaginosis (Nugent criteria) were measured in vaginal fluid collected at enrollment (15th through 27th week of pregnancy) from 1,031 non-Hispanic white and African-American women (787 term, 244 preterm). Preterm deliveries were categorized by clinical circumstances, ie, spontaneous and medically indicated. Among African Americans, vaginal human neutrophil peptides 1-3 levels greater than or equal to the median were associated with bacterial vaginosis and specifically with spontaneous preterm delivery only (adjusted odds ratio 2.3, 95% confidence interval 1.2-4.3). Once African-American women were stratified by human neutrophil peptide 1-3 levels, bacterial vaginosis added nothing to the prediction of spontaneous preterm delivery risk. None of the above associations were observed in non-Hispanic whites. The relations among human neutrophil peptide 1-3 levels, bacterial vaginosis, and preterm delivery vary by race group. In African Americans, midpregnancy human neutrophil peptide 1-3 levels were more informative to preterm delivery risk than was bacterial vaginosis, suggesting an important role for host response. In addition, elevated human neutrophil peptide 1-3 levels may be a marker for particular high-risk vaginal milieus that are not distinguished by the current bacterial vaginosis Nugent scoring system.

Stay It with Flora: Maintaining Vaginal Health as a Possible Avenue for Prevention of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Acquisition

mucosal surface, the vagina may be colonized by a variety of bacteria, fungi, and other potential pathogens. A normal vaginal flora is predominately composed of Lactobacillus species, with low diversity [1]. Lactobacilli provide significant health benefits to the host by decreasing the vaginal pH through lactic acid production, generating H2O2 and bacteriocins, and stimulating the local immune system [2], all of which serve as barriers to pathogens. Thus, an abnormal vaginal flora may have significant implications for the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It is therefore unfortunate that, in the real world, a normal (i.e., lactobacilli-predominant) vaginal flora is not the norm. The composition of the vaginal flora within a population constitutes a spectrum. In some individuals, H2O2producing Lactobacillus species predominate, whereas in others, the flora may include an increasing proportion of various species, such as Gardnerella vaginalis, Mycoplasma hominis, and gramnegative and gram-positive anaerobes, including Prevotella organisms [1, 3]. This spectrum is often quantified numerically by means of the Nugent scoring system, with flora classified as normal, intermediate, or bacterial vaginosis [4]. On the basis of this system, the vaginal flora is actually abnormal (i.e., it is classified as intermediate or vaginosis) in at least half of women. This abnormal status

Analysis of Vaginal Acetic Acid in Patients Undergoing Treatment for Bacterial Vaginosis

A "gold standard" method for the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis (BV) is lacking. The clinical criteria described by the Amsel technique are subjective and difficult to quantify. Alternatively, the reading of Gram-stained vaginal smears by scoring techniques such as those that use the Nugent or Hay-Ison scoring systems is again subjective, requires expert personnel to perform the reading, and is infrequently used clinically. Recently, a new diagnostic device, the Osmetech Microbial Analyzer--Bacterial Vaginosis (OMA-BV), which determines a patient's BV status on the basis of measurement of the amount of acetic acid present in a vaginal swab specimen, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The present study uses the conducting polymer gas-sensing technology of OMA-BV to measure the concentration of acetic acid in the headspace above vaginal swab specimens from patients undergoing treatment for BV with metronidazole. In 97.8% of the cases the level of acetic acid detected fell sharply during the treatment period, crossing from above to below the diagnostic threshold of 900 ppm. The diagnosis obtained on the basis of the level of vaginal acetic acid was compared with the diagnoses obtained by use of the Amsel criteria and the Nugent scoring system both at the time of initial entry into the study and at the repeat samplings on days 7 and 14. The results obtained with OMA-BV showed overall agreements compared with the results of the Amsel and Nugent tests of 98 and 94%, respectively, for the 34 patients monitored through the treatment process. This provides further evidence that the measurement of vaginal acetic acid by headspace analysis with conducting polymer sensors is a valid alternative to present tests for the diagnosis of BV.

Reliability of interpretation of gram-stained vaginal smears by nugent's scoring system for diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis

This study was designed to assess reliability of interpretation of Gram-stained vaginal smears by using Nugent's scoring system for diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis (BV) across three different centers in Turkey: two in Ankara and one in Trabzon. The vaginal smears were collected from clients attending a family planning clinic in Trabzon, Turkey during October–December 1997. One slide taken from each client was prepared according to the standard methods and enumerated. One evaluator from each center examined the slides independently for the presence of BV and none of them had access to the evaluation of the others. Out of 372 slides, 301 (81%) were found to be satisfactory for scoring by all three evaluators and included in the analysis. Nugent's scores from 1–10 reported from each evaluator were compared by Spearman correlation coefficients and Kappa statistics. The difference in the proportions of BV diagnosis in three centers was evaluated by χ 2 test. There was good agreement for the interpretation of Gram-stained vaginal smears by Nugent's scoring system for diagnosis of BV. These results indicate that it is a reliable method in diagnosis of BV at different settings.

A multiplex polymerase chain reaction-based diagnostic method for bacterial vaginosis

OBJECTIVE:To develop a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnostic method for bacterial vaginosis using bacterial vaginosis-associated anaerobes.METHODS:A multiple PCR assay was developed using primers specific to 16S ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) (Mobiluncus mulieris and Mobiluncus curtisii), nanH (Bacteroides fragilis), and an internal spacer region of ribosomal DNA (Gardnerella vaginalis). The vaginal swabs from pregnant and nonpregnant women were examined by Gram stain-based Nugent scoring system. One hundred seventy-two samples of 853 Gram stain-interpretable samples were randomly selected and subjected to multiplex PCR assay.RESULTS:The sensitivity of the PCR assay ranged from 103 to 104 colony-forming units per vaginal swab. The prevalence of the bacterial vaginosis, intermediate, and normal categories was found by Nugent scoring system to be 21.6% (184/853), 26.0% (222/853), and 52.4% (447/853), respectively. By the multiplex PCR-based diagnostic method, 20.3% (35/172) of the samples were identified as bacterial vaginosis. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of multiplex PCR in comparison with Gram stain examination were 78.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 65.1%, 91.6%), 95.6% (95% CI 92.1%, 99.0%), 82.9% (95% CI 70.4%, 95.4%), and 94.2% (95% CI 90.3%, 98.1%), respectively.CONCLUSION:This multiplex PCR can be used as a diagnostic or screening test for bacterial vaginosis.

Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and vaginal flora changes in peri- and postmenopausal women.

Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and decrease in lactobacillus colonization in women 40 years old or older in relation to menopausal status by evaluation of Gram-stained smears. A total of 1,486 smears from Italian Caucasian women aged 40 to 79 years were examined. Women were classified as follows: fertile (regular cycles) (n = 328), perimenopausal (irregular cycles) (n = 237), and postmenopausal (n = 921), including 331 women on estroprogestinic hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The prevalences of bacterial vaginosis (assessed as a Nugent score of >or=7) in fertile (9.8%) and perimenopausal (11.0%) women were not statistically different, whereas the prevalence was significantly lower overall in postmenopausal women (6.0%) (P = 0.02). Specifically, 6.3% of postmenopausal women without HRT and 5.4% of postmenopausal women with HRT were positive for bacterial vaginosis. The Nugent score system was not adequate for evaluating the normal and intermediate vaginal flora in women over the age of 40 years. High numbers of peri- and postmenopausal women had no lactobacilli and no bacterial-vaginosis-associated microorganisms. This nonpathological absence of lactobacilli in women with a Nugent score of 4 was scored as 4*, and this group was considered separately from the intermediate flora group. A score of 4* was obtained for 2.1% of fertile women, 11.4% of perimenopausal women, 44.1% of postmenopausal women without HRT, and 6.9% of postmenopausal women with HRT. The physiological reduction in lactobacillus colonization of the vagina in postmenopausal women does not cause an increase in bacterial-vaginosis prevalence. Reversion of lactobacillus flora to premenopausal levels due to HRT does not increase the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis in postmenopausal women.

Nugent Score Related to Vaginal Culture in Pregnant Women

In Brief OBJECTIVE To relate Gram-stained smears, using the Nugent criteria, to quantitative and qualitative vaginal cultures in pregnant women. METHODS Two independent evaluators using the Nugent criteria, a standardized method of Gram-stain interpretation designed to detect bacterial vaginosis, scored 104 vaginal smears from pregnant women. The quantitative and qualitative vaginal cultures were assessed at the same time and the results expressed as log10 colony-forming units per gram of vaginal secretion. The Nugent scores were compared with the microbiologic findings. RESULTS The prevalence of normal, intermediate, or bacterial vaginosis vaginal flora as determined by Gram stain was 68%, 21%, and 11%, respectively. A comparison of the mean bacterial counts with the Nugent score showed a weak negative correlation for Lactobacillus species and a positive correlation for gram-variable and gram-negative rods. Additional analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between the mean bacterial counts analyses of Peptostreptococcus, a genus not included in the Nugent scoring system, and the Nugent score. In addition, the Prevotella counts correlated strongly with both the Nugent score and the Peptostreptococcus counts. The quantitative counts for Lactobacillus did not vary significantly among the three defined groups of vaginal microflora; however, significant increases in the concentrations of Gardnerella vaginalis and Prevotella were found as the Nugent score increased. CONCLUSION A strong correlation was found among the gram-variable and gram-negative genera comprised by the Nugent score. Peptostreptococcus also correlated strongly with the Nugent score and with the Prevotella counts, suggesting that this genus may play a role in determining vaginal health. The Nugent score in pregnant women has a weak negative correlation with Lactobacillus and a strong positive correlation with Gardnerella vaginalis, Prevotella, and Peptostreptococcus.