Reaction of the vaginal flora to ornidazol in patients with cervicitis.

The cervical and high vaginal flora of 76 patients with cervicitis were studied before and after therapy with Ornidazol by quantitative culture methods. Lactobacilli were the predominant organisms, but Peptostreptococci, Bacteroides and Trichomonas were encountered in 17, respectively 32 and 81% of all specimens. During and after therapy Trichomonas disappeared completely, the bacterial flora normalized and became comparable to that of healthy women with incidences for Bacteroides of 8-13% and Peptostreptococci of 4-5%. The in vitro susceptibility (MIC and MBC) of 50 strains of Bacteroides to Ornidazol was determined by a broth dilution method and an agar plate technique. The MIC varied from 0.07 to 10 microgram/ml. All strains were susceptible to 10 microgram/ml. There was a slight variation in resistance between the various species tested. B. fragilis was less susceptible to Ornidazol than other Bacteroides species. Within the species B. fragilis the subspecies thetaiotaomicron and 'other' were most susceptible, spp. fragilis and spp. distasonis least.