Antifungal Susceptibility Patterns of Vulvovaginal species among Women Attending Antenatal Clinic at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, South Western Uganda.

AIMS

To identify the species that cause vulvovaginal candidiasis and determine their antifungal susceptibility patterns.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional study.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY

The study was conducted at the antenatal clinic of Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in Mbarara Municipality, between December 2012 and February 2013.

METHODS

High vaginal swabs from 456 pregnant women were subjected to microscopy and culture on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar. isolates were identified by the germ tube and Analytical profile index (API Candida) tests. Susceptibility to fluconazole, itraconazole and voriconazole was determined by the Etest strips and for clotrimazole and nystatin by the disc diffusion method on Mueller Hinton agar supplemented with 2%w/v glucose and 0.5μg/ml methylene blue dye.

RESULTS

Of the 456 High vaginal swabs cultured, 207 grew Species distribution was as follows: (78.95%), (14.35%), (3.35%), (1.44%), (0.96%), (0.48%) and (0.48%). Resistance to nystatin was only observed in 0.61% of . Resistance to clotrimazole was observed in 50%, 36.67% and 0.61% of , and respectively. showed a high resistance of 71.43% to fluconazole. , , and exhibited 100% resistance to itraconazole. Resistance to voriconazole of less than 11% was exhibited by only and

CONCLUSION

was susceptible to most antifungal agents tested except itraconazole and voriconazole. All isolates were susceptible to nystatin except less than 1% of . Non- demonstrated resistance to some drugs especially itraconazole. We recommend use of Nystatin for empirical management of vulvovaginal candidiasis among pregnant women.