Authors' objectives:

To determine whether screening and treating pregnant women for bacterial vaginosis (BV) reduces adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Authors' results and conclusions: Seven RCTs met inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. We found no benefit to BV treatment in average-risk women for any pregnancy outcome. Results of studies of high-risk populations (women who had previous preterm delivery (PTD)) were statistically heterogeneous. They clustered into 2 groups; 1 showed no benefit (ARR =-0.08, 90% CI =-0.19 to 0.04), whereas 3 homogeneous studies showed potential benefit of BV treatment (pooled ARR = 0.22; 90% CI = 0.13 to 0.31) for PTD before 37 weeks. Four high-risk studies reported results for PTD less than 34 weeks. The pooled estimate showed no benefit (ARR = 0.04, 90% CI = -0.2 to 0.09), but variation was noted among individual studies. Two trials of high-risk women found an increase in PTD less than 34 weeks in women who did not have BV but who received BV treatment. Comparisons of patient populations, treatment regimens, and study designs did not explain the heterogeneity among studies.

Authors' recommendations: We found no benefit to routine BV screening and treatment. A subgroup of high-risk women may benefit from BV screening and treatment; however, there may be a subgroup for whom BV treatment could increase the occurrence of PTD.

Authors' methods: Systematic review

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspsbvag.htm

Year Published: 2001

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: United States

Organisation Name: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Contact Address: Center for Outcomes and Evidence Technology Assessment Program, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. Tel: +1 301 427 1610; Fax: +1 301 427 1639;

Contact Name: martin.erlichman@ahrq.hhs.gov

Contact Email: martin.erlichman@ahrq.hhs.gov

Copyright: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)