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. 2016 Jan 20;6:1528. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01528

Table 1.

Studies of common antibiotics used in BV treatment, published between 2010 and 2015.

Antibiotic Regimen Treatment cure rate (n = population size) Recurrence rate (n = population size) Side effects References
Clindamycin 300 mg of oral clindamycin (2 × D for 1 W) 84% (n = 150) 6% (n = 150) Preterm labor (4.7%); premature rupture of the membranes (3.3%) Hantoushzadeh et al., 2012
Metronidazole 250 mg of oral metronidazole (2 × D for 1 W) 97.1% (n = 70) N/A Metallic taste (34.3%); nausea (21.4%); dizziness (11.4%); vomiting (4.3%) Abdali et al., 2015
Metronidazole 500 mg of oral metronidazole (2 × D for 1 W) 48.3% (n = 60) N/A Heartburn (15%); metallic taste (11.7%); headache (6.7%); skin rash (1.7%); vomiting (1.7%); diarrhea (1.7%) Mohammadzadeh et al., 2014
Metronidazole 750 mg of intravaginal metronidazole plus 200 mg of intravaginal miconazole (2 × W for 3 M) 100% (n = 16) 66.7% (n = 9) post-BV treatment N/D Aguin et al., 2014
Metronidazole 500 mg of oral metronidazole (2 × D for 1 W) and topical metronidazole cream (for 5 D) N/A >50% after 12 M post-BV treatment N/A Bodean et al., 2013
Metronidazole 0.8% metronidazole in situ gel (2 × D for 5 D) 85% (n = 20) N/A N/A Shaaban et al., 2011
Metronidazole 0.8% metronidazole gel (2 × D for 5 D) 71.4% (n = 21) N/A N/A Shaaban et al., 2011
Metronidazole 500 mg of oral metronidazole (2 × D for 1 W) 82.4% (n = 136) 33.3% (n = 102) after 1 M and 33.9% (n = 56) after 2 M post-BV treatment Yeast infection (29.3%); nausea/vomiting (20.2%); headache (14.7%); bad taste (11%); diarrhea (3.7%); anorexia (0.8%) Schwebke and Desmond, 2011
Metronidazole 1.3% metronidazole gel (1 × D for 1 D) 30.2% (n = 43) 52% (n = 25) of abnormal discharge and fishy odor post-BV treatment Vulvovaginal candidiasis (12.3%); headache (4.6%); nasopharyngitis (3.1%); vulvovaginal pruritus (3.1%); nausea (1.5%) Chavoustie et al., 2015
Metronidazole 1.3% metronidazole gel (1 × D for 3 D) 25% (n = 48) 58.6% (n = 29) of abnormal discharge and fishy odor post-BV treatment Vulvovaginal candidiasis (13.3%); headache (8.3%); vulvovaginal pruritus (6.7%); nasopharyngitis (5%) Chavoustie et al., 2015
Metronidazole 1.3% metronidazole gel (1 × D for 5 D) 32.7% (n = 49) 21.4% (n = 28) of abnormal discharge and fishy odor post-BV treatment Headache (6.3%); nausea (6.3%); nasopharyngitis (1.6%) Chavoustie et al., 2015
Metronidazole 0.75% metronidazole gel (1 × D for 5 D) 20.4% (n = 49) 50% (n = 26) of abnormal discharge and fishy odor post-BV treatment Vulvovaginal candidiasis (13.8%); headache (13.8%); nasopharyngitis (1.5%); vulvovaginal pruritus (1.5%) Chavoustie et al., 2015
Metronidazole 1.3% metronidazole gel (1 × D for 1 D) 37.2% (n = 250) N/A Vulvovaginal infections (5.6%); headache (2.2%); nausea (1.6%); vulvovaginal pruritus (1.6%); diarrhea (1.2%); dysmenorrhea (1.2%) Schwebke et al., 2015
Metronidazole 500 mg of intravaginal metronidazole (1 × D for 1 W) 83.3% (n = 30) 20% (n = 25) after 1 M post-BV treatment N/A Ling et al., 2013
Metronidazole 2 g of oral metronidazole in (1 × D for 1 D) 88.4% (n = 86) N/A N/A Thulkar et al., 2012
Metronidazole 0.75% metronidazole gel (2 × D for 5 D) 71.3% (n = 108) N/A Adverse events in 15.6% of patients Zeng et al., 2010
Ornidazole 1.5 g of oral ornidazole in (1 × D for 1 D) 100% (n = 86) N/A N/A Thulkar et al., 2012
Rifaximin 100 mg of vaginal rifaximin (for 5 D) 25.9% (n = 27) N/A Vulvovaginal candidiasis (7.4%); vulvovaginal pruritus (3.7%); vaginal inflammation (3.7%) Donders et al., 2013
Rifaximin 25 mg of vaginal rifaximin (for 5 D) 48% (n = 25) N/A Vulvovaginal candidiasis (16%); diarrhea (8%); gastrointestinal symptoms and headache (4%); vulvovaginal discomfort (4%) Donders et al., 2013
Rifaximin 100 mg of vaginal rifaximin (for 2 D) 36% (n = 25) N/A Vulvovaginal candidiasis (8%) Donders et al., 2013
Secnidazole 2 g of oral secnidazole in (1 × D for 1 D) 90.7% (n = 86) N/A N/A Thulkar et al., 2012
Secnidazole 2 g of oral secnidazole (1 × D for 1 D) 62.4 % (n = 290) N/A Headache (9%) Bohbot et al., 2010
Tinidazole 500 mg of oral tinidazole (2 × D for 1 W) 75.3% (n = 146) 30.2% (n = 96) after 1 M and 40% (n = 55) after 2 M post-BV treatment Yeast infection (25%); nausea/vomiting (19.7%); headache (16.7%); bad taste (15.2%); diarrhea (0.8%); anorexia (5.3%) Schwebke and Desmond, 2011
Tinidazole 1 g of oral tinidazole (2 × D for 1 W) 73% (n = 137) 22.5% (n = 89) after 1M and 20.3% (n = 59) after 2M post-BV treatment Bad taste (41.8%); nausea/vomiting (30.9%); headache (24.5%); yeast infection (24.5%); diarrhea (5.5%); anorexia (4.5%) Schwebke and Desmond, 2011
Tinidazole 2 g of oral tinidazole in (1 × D for 1 D) 100% (n = 86) N/A N/A Thulkar et al., 2012

(D), Daily or day; (W), Weekly or Weeks; (M), Monthly or Months; (N/A)–in that study, this was not quantified; (N/D)–in that study, adverse effects were non-detected.