Evaluation of the Causative Microorganisms and Antibiogram Results in Women with Vaginal Swab Culture Taken with Prediagnosis of Vaginitis

Aim: Vaginitis occurs when the vaginal flora is disturbed. This study aimed to evaluate the demographic data, causative microorganisms, and antibiogram results of women who underwent vaginal swab culture with a prediagnosis of vaginitis. Methods: Vaginal swab samples from 314 women who visited the Kafkas University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology were included in the study. Women with immunosuppressive diseases, gynecological malignancies, and IUD use were excluded. Vaginal discharge or swab samples were Gram stained and cultured on various media. Microorganisms were identified using conventional and biochemical methods, and antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method, according to the EUCAST guidelines. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, with categorical variables assessed using the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, and continuous variables assessed using the Mann-Whitney U test. The study complied with the recommendations of the Declaration of Helsinki for human biomedical research and was approved by the Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Kafkas University Faculty of Medicine. Results: The median age of 314 women included in this study was 39 (20-69) years. . In total, 73.6% (n=231) were premenopausal, 24.5% (n=77) were postmenopausal, and 1.9% (n=6) were pregnant. The most common complaint was abdominal/pelvic pain (142, 45.2%). Vaginal cultures from 123 women (39.1%) showed the growth of different microorganisms. The most common causative microorganism was Escherichia coli (41.5%). According to the antibiogram results, the most sensitive antibiotic was gentamicin (65.9%), and ampicillin (52.8 %) was the most resistant. Conclusion: It is important to quickly and accurately identify microorganisms involved in the etiology of the correct treatment.